Random YouTube video day – I was astonished to see an acrobatic video about an ancient Indian sport on YouTube. Mallakhamb (Malla=Man + Khamb=Pole) (and yes, I do get the juvenile humor in the name).
The earliest mention of Mallkhamb can be traced back to the 12th Century where it is mentioned in the classic “MANASOLHAS” (1135 A.D.).For about seven centuries after that, the art form remained dormant until it was given a new lease of life by BALAMBHATTADADA DEODHAR, the renowned teacher of PESHWA BAJIRAO-II during the first half of the 19th century. Link
The historical origins aside, the feats performed by these young men are quite impressive in nature. I was surprised to not ever have heard about this, or seen this before.The sport is essentially acrobat type stunts on a wooden pole that is 2.6 Meter in height, and 55 cm circumference at the bottom gradually converging to a 35 cm at the top (wiki). The wooden pole and the body of the acrobat are both smeared with castor oil to prevent any damage caused by friction.
And how can there be a good Indian sport without a good Indian story behind it? (Once upon a time…)
Here is the video of what looks like a championship event:
And what looks like a documentary on the basic steps and training involved-
Some reports online also indicate that this could have been the inspiration for pole dancing in the western world, but hard to find a credible source, for it to be taken seriously as a possible fact. But it would be interesting to have a show like a Cirque Du Soleil segment with great production values for this sport. It would be a treat to watch something this skillful combined with the aesthetic values brought in by Cirque.
More information, about the sport, current status today and the types of Mallakhamb can be found here.
Loading ...