Kushti, wrestling, India
Indian style wrestling or Kushti in an Akhara or wrestling arena in Kolkata. Kusti is India's traditional wrestling on soil. This ancient sport used to hold great importance in Indian societies of the past, its popularity over the recent years however, has dwindled tremendously. At present Kusti is only practiced in a handful of pockets around India. Even in these places the future of the sport is uncertain. The government constantly pressures traditional Kusti schools to abandon ways of the past, embrace international wrestling standards. 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. The words pehlwani and kushti derive from the Persian terms pahlavani (heroic) and koshti (wrestling, lit. killing) respectively, meaning Heroic wrestling. It is likely that the word derives from the Iranian word "Pehalavi" denoting to people of Iranian descent.
Size: 5319px × 3543px
Location: Kolkata, India
Photo credit: © Erberto Zani / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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