Pehlwani and the Titles Associated with that

There are various forms of wrestling, Pehlwani is one f them that is said to be originated from the South Asia. It was developed in the Mughal Empire by combining Malla-yuddha that was done as a source of entertainment and punishment by rich people.   The words Pehlwani and Kushti are derived from the Persian terms.  A practitioner of this sport is termed as a Pehlwan while teachers are called Ustad. Since a very long period of time it is played in many parts of world. Earlier it was for keeping oneself fit and healthy and later on it took the form of sport. Now it is also a part of Olympic Games.

There are so many recognitions and titles are associated with Pehlwani. Official titles awarded to kushti champions are as follows: 1. "Rustam-e-Hind" that means Champion of India. Vishnupant Nagrale was the first wrestler ever to hold this title. Dara Singh from Punjab, Krishan Kumar from Haryana, Muhammad Buta Pehlwan, Imam Baksh Pehlwan, Hamida Pehlwan, Vishnupant Nagrale, Dadu Chaugle and Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) held the Rustam-e-Hind title in the past for their best performance in this field. 2. "Maharashtra Kesari 3."Rustam-e-Panjaab" 4. "Rustam-e-Zamana"5."Bharat-Kesari" and 6. "Hind Kesari" are some other titles associated with Pehalwani. These various tittles are to give respect to the wrestlers to motivate them as well as others. Now, this form of sport has taken a lot of modification and is recognized worldwide.

By: Anita Aishvarya

Content: en.wikipedia.org