Mansouled Fiery Islands: pehlwani

Pehlwani is a form of wresting or grappling that originated in Persia (now Iran) and is modified by Indian yoga. On so much there seems to be universal agreement.

I saw, running briefly through conflicting blogs incapable (by me) of being authenticated, that Pakistanis argue that pehlwani is a Pakistani art or sport, and Indians argue that it is Indian. Champions in the sport are given great honor, and some even go to Iran and Russia to compete. Iranians are recognized as masters in wrestling.

Given that the two nations are very nearly at war with each other, it is not surprising that there is disagreement over origins.

I can clearly remember when we would not accept that we had any German or Japanese heritage; and then, in a mere two years, Germans and Japanese became our great good friends, and Russia became the Evil Empire, along with China, both our great good friends during WWII; then our enmity toward China and Russia faded (skipping over Vietnam) and Muslims of all stripes became the enemy.

I began life during the Great Depression. We began War seven years later. I am now in my 78th BirthYear, and we have had a fearsome Enemy for most of those years; and the fearsome Enemy of past years has become nothing to worry about when a new enemy arose. I become suspicious that we are being manipulated.

Pehlwani is intensely popular in both Pakistan and in India. It is natural that each side should claim ownership of so popular a sport, of which, I venture to say, you have never heard.

Here is a youtube demonstration of what I take to be an Indian training camp or perhaps a way of life, as sumo is in Japan. Yoga is clearly used in the exercises.

Here is a match recorded in Dubai, presumably a Sunni version. I am not schooled in wrestling enough to note much difference.

The images that follow are from India, only because the photographer (whose identify is also obscure to me) is so outstanding. I'm making a lot of guesses abut what is happening in some of the images. Please correct me if you know better.

This is an arena. The Indian version has the combatants oiled. They wrestle in loose clay soil.

Here is a gym, and some men and boys exercising.

These green dumbbells are used, generally by men larger than this lad.

Here men are posing in what I take to be the massage room.

Note the notch for oil.

It was this image that first touched my interest, because of the colors, so reminiscent of the Mexico now no longer with us, I understand, and the comfortable stance of the wrestler.

Before a match, the wrestlers massage each other. I suppose this practice is from yoga. I doubt that it is from Iran.

Massage produces one of the two or three best photographs I have ever seen.

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I pause here to show you two great pictures:

To give a sense of proportion, I show two of my own pictures, of which I am proud, and which these two from India humble me:

The Indian image are dense, solid, and clear; and to make matters worse, they were taken in natural light. Gotta find out how that is done.
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And then the matches:

. . . and rest after a day's play. This picture remind me of Raymondville, Texas, when I was young, though there is nothing about it -- except the heat and dryness -- that is like home. I feel as if I have known that boy all my life. The over-all image raises a lump of nostalgia in my throat. I would like to lie in clay, covered in oil, relaxed after hard play. Part of the photographer's magic, I suspect.