War, conflict. Some say it all began since the rise of the state, about 5000 years ago. But I know otherwise. Maybe that’s the good thing about being Indian. Indian bedtime stories came filled with pure action, all the way from an era a million years ago. Just like everything else in Indian tradition.

In a way, war is instinctive behavior that confers survival benefits. The key word being instinctive. So I believe the concept of a fight was alive since the day man became aware of his need to survive. And anything that brings human instinct to the forefront compulsively becomes an art of sorts. A sport soon after.

Mystical gods employed "dhanurveda" (archery) to vanquish the evil. Several years later we see bows and arrows as an exotic art. A sport with machismo. "Kalarippayattu" (a Dravidian martial art originating from Kerala, India, considered to be the forerunner of karate), "kushti" (wrestling combat,  also known as "malla yuddha" in local languages), "vajra mushti" (lightning fist) and many more were passed down several generations, but very few still view them as an honorable sport from the ancient times, from Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Jayaram, who sells tea beside Mysore Zoo, spoke widely with me about the city’s passion for the art of "kushti". As I found out later, it was more his than the city’s. Proud about once being an enthusiastic part of the "kushti" culture, yet only reluctantly willing to tell me his stories, I saw he felt deeply for the nearing death of the art. So did I.

He directed me to some wrestling schools (also known as "garadis" or "akhadas") in Mysore city, where I chanced upon the renowned wrestler Lokesh Jaisimha, formally titled ‘Pehalwan’ (the title given to accomplished wrestlers).

"Garadis" and "akhadas" all boast of mud pits, healthy old trees and a deep well. Most of them have bright paintings on the walls, with depictions of Lord Hanuman, Garuda (a large mythical bird in Hindu Mythology) or other dramatic scenes portraying physical power from Hindu Mythology, turning the garadi into a tribute to the God of Courage Himself, Hanuman. The entry of women is strictly prohibited in these traditional wrestling schools, although they are permitted to watch public wrestling bouts.

However, there are special schools which teach the Olympic style of wrestling for women, in which wrestlers fight on a large mat unlike the case of traditional wrestling, in which the actual wrestling arena is just soft red mud, comfortable enough to use all your might and prove your bodily skills, because after all it’s not about strength alone, it’s about art, tactic.

The ritual begins with warm up exercises and a luxurious massage with butter. Some wrestlers even dab some red mud on themselves to help the body stay warm. They finally seek to be blessed by the Lord and their Guru. The kushti session begins and ends with worship.

The actual match begins. The fight for the glorious victory. Sounds of struggle fill the room while players start their trials to pin the other down. The older ex-fighters look on, trying to encourage and keep the sport alive.

The tradition of wrestling has been passed down from one generation to the other. Most of the young wrestlers I met were the sons of former popular wrestlers. Wrestling is their soul and the drive they possess to practice and excel is beyond imagination. Their families have exposed them to this martial art since a very young age and hence they refuse to walk into new age fitness centers. Wrestling, for them, is something more than being macho. In the past, wrestling was considered to be a serious profession, unlike now.

I wanted to meet more wrestlers and listen to their perspective of this sport. After several hours of wandering around wrestling schools, I happened to meet Mr. Balaji, titled ‘Tiger’ due to his aggression and powerful roars during wrestling matches. Now at 53, he reminisces about his pahelwan days when he was feared as an undisputed champion in the state. Such was the popularity of ‘Tiger Balaji’ that he even had a stint in the silver screen opposite to the great Kannada actor Dr.Rajkumar.

Karnataka is home to great wrestling schools, Mysore being the city hosting most of them. One can get to witness wrestling bouts there, during the annual Dasara Festival (September/October), or in Hampi (Hoskote District) during the Hampi Utsav (November). These are the two major events which attract audience from all over the world. Apart from these large scale events, wrestling bouts are also held in Mysore during the Kannada Rajyotsava Festival (State Festival of Karnataka – 1st of November every year), and most of them are organized at Devaraj Urs Multipurpose Wrestling Stadium at Doddakere Grounds, Mysore.