Mallakhamba

Mallakamba (Kannada: ಮಲ್ಲ ಕಂಬ malla-kamba, Marathi: मल्लखांब malla-khamba, Tamil: மல்லர் கம்பம் mallar-kambam) is a traditional Indian sport in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga postures and wrestling grips in concert with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane or hanging rope. The word mallakhamba also refers to the pole used in the sport. The pole mallakhamba is usually made from the Seesham (Indian Rosewood) polished with castor oil. Three popular version of mallakhamba are practiced using the sheesham pole, cane or a rope.

Mallakhamba derives from the terms malla/mallar which denotes a wrestler and khamba/kambam which means a pole. Literally meaning "wrestling pole", the term originally referred to a traditional training implement used by wrestlers. Mallakhamb keeps body slim, hardens muscles and ensures the proper degree of tension for each.. Mallakhamb is one the few sports which provides complete exercise to entire body that too in the least possible time. India is the birth of Mallakhamb. History says Mallakhamb was mainly for the combatant and wrestlers. People denote it as the Sport of Strength and power.On April 9, 2013, the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh declared Mallakhamba as the state sport. More than 20 states of India have notified Mallakhamba as the state sports.

The earliest recorded reference to Mallakhamba is found in 1135 AD Sanskrit classic Manasollasa (Kannada: ಮನಸೋಲ್ಲಾಸ) written by Someshvara Chalukya, although it has been conjectured to have existed since as early as the Maurya dynasty. Originally Mallakamba was used as a supporting exercise for wrestlers. Although known to have been practiced in medieval Maharashtra and Hyderabad, the sport didn't become visible in practice and well recorded until the 18th century when it was revived by Balambhatdada Deodhar, the fitness instructor of Peshwa Baji Rao II during the reign of the Peshwas.Balambhattdada Deodhar realized that only major grips can be developed with a pole and thus used cane instead to develop additional grips. Subsequently, the unavailability of cane resulted in rope Mallakhamba. Today, it is also used as a performance art as well as a method of training.

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