Drinking, smoking and even sex are off limits. kushti, The traditional Indian wrestling take place in “Akhada“. Drinking, smoking and even sex are off limits. The arena is either a circular or square shape, measuring at least fourteen feet across. The history of wrestling in India is rich with a glorious past. "Kushti (also: Kusti, Koshti) is a traditional rural Sport of India. In Maharashtra the akharas are called talim. Before training, the floor is raked of any pebbles or stones. In vogue particularly during the 16th-century Mughal era, this martial art continues to be practiced today. Kushti: The style of Indian wrestling, also know as Pehlwani and the person referred as Pehlwan. The wrestlers live, practice and sleep together in an akhara (or akhada).

Kushti is a form of traditional Indian combative wrestling. Indeed, kushti is more than traditional Indian wrestling: it is a way of life, perpetuating a tradition where every encounter serves as a spiritual quest. Pehlwani, also known as kushti, is a form of wrestling contested in the Indian subcontinent.It was developed in the Mughal Empire by combining Persian koshti pahlevani with influences from native Indian malla-yuddha. Rules. killing) respectively, meaning Heroic wrestling.

Rather than using modern mats, South Asian wrestlers train and compete on dirt floors. The words pehlwani and kushti derive from the Persian terms pahlavani (heroic) and koshti (wrestling, lit. Rules help make the game more transparent and fair among the players. Kushti is a traditional form of Indian mud wrestling, an ancient culture where wrestlers live and train together and follow strict rules on living a pure life. It was developed in the Mughal era through a synthesis of the malla-yuddha form of wrestling in South Asia and the Iranian Varzesh-e Bastani.The history of Varzesh-e Bastani in Persia or Ancient Iran can be traced back to the Parthian Empire of Iran (132 BC - 226 AD).

Kushti is a traditional form of Indian wrestling.

Without rules, there would be chaos and a lack of sportsmanship among the players. It's not just a Sport and an art, it's an ancient subculture.
For more pictures check out the gallery "Kushti in India". Wrestling competitions, known as dangal or kushti, are held in villages and as such are variable and flexible. Traditional Indian wrestling isn't just a sport - it's an ancient subculture where wrestlers live and train together and follow strict rules on everything from what they can eat to what they can do in their spare time. Even the word Pahlavan comes from Parthia (according to one of … Here, wrestlers live under strict rules. Pehlwani or kushti is a form of wrestling from South Asia. Akhada is a place for practicing the Indian wrestling, in other words the school of wrestling. Kushti is a traditional form of Indian wrestling established centuries ago in Persia.


In India, Kushti takes place in a clay or dirt pit..