Mallakhamb began as a kind of martial arts training and has now grown into a highly fascinating performance sport, know about the game and its meaning in English
On the margins of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the ancient Indian sport of mallakhamb or mallakhamba (a sort of Indian gymnastics on a vertical pole) first attracted broad worldwide recognition.
Mallakhamb Game History, Rules, Format, Meaning In English Explained, Which State Sport, Khelo India Youth Games 2022
Mallakhamb was one of several traditional Indian sports, including kabaddi, that was shown in Berlin before the start of the Olympics and attracted plaudits from both locals and the foreign people attending the Games. Mallakhamb is sometimes referred to be the “mother of all old Indian sports,” and its exact roots are difficult to establish. Mallakhamb can be found in ancient Indian epics such as the Ramayana, old Chandraketugarh pottery dating from the second to first centuries BCE, and records of Buddhist Chinese pilgrims to India.
Mallakhamb is first mentioned in writing in an early 12th-century document called Manasollasa, written by Chalukya monarch Someshvara III, who governed present-day South India at the time.
Since then, the sport has expanded all over the world, and the first-ever Mallakhamb Global Championships were held in Mumbai in 2019, with over 150 participants from over 15 nations competing.
The newfound popularity, however, does not completely represent its rich heritage.
The Mallakhamb Federation of India was established in 1981, and the sport’s regulations were formalised later that year by the national-level organisation.
It was demonstrated at the Festival 2018, which preceded the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia. The sport was also scheduled to feature at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 controversy.
The martial art will also compete in the Khelo India Youth Games beginning in 2022.
What Exactly Is Mallakhamb?
It may appear to be a type of aerial yoga or gymnastics done on a vertical pillar at first look (traditionally a Sheesham or Indian rosewood pole polished with castor oil).
However, at its foundation, mallakhamb is a type of old martial arts practised by wrestlers and ancient warriors.
‘Malla’ means wrestling in Arabic, while ‘khamb’ means pole. When combined, signifies pole wrestling. Wrestlers and warriors utilised the pole to practise martial arts manoeuvres that they might later employ on opponents in the arena or on the battlefield.
The Rules
The regulations are quite basic and similar to gymnastics.
Participants must perform acrobatic feats using a vertical pole or rope as a prop, and judges will assess them based on their mastery of the abilities.
Mounting (where performers jump on and run on the pole), acrobatics (where performers execute acrobatic flips, turns, and twists on the pole), catches (where performers catch the pole after being airborne), balances (where performers demonstrate their balance on the pole), and dismounts are the five main categories on which competitors are judged (where performers jump off gracefully from the top of the pole). During a performance, judges assess each contestant, and the one with the highest score is named the winner.
Variations In The Art
Three sorts of mallakhamb variants have gained prominence in contests throughout the years. There are three types of mallakhamb: pole, hanging, and rope mallakhamb.
The classic form is pole mallakhamb. Competitors execute on a wooden pole that stands 2.6m tall and has a base circumference of 55cm. The pole tapers progressively to a circumference of 35cm at the top.
Meanwhile, hanging mallakhamb makes use of a shorter pole strung with hooks or chains as the prop. In hanging mallakhamb, the bottom of the pole does not contact the ground. Rope mallakhamb is performed on a 5.5m long and 2cm diameter hanging rope.
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