Wrestling : Wrestlers livelihood hit hard as the biggest dangal of Himachal Pradesh cancelled

Wrestlers are struggling to make the ends meet as the May-June mud wrestling season indigenously called dangal has been completely whitewashed due to COVID-19. While most of the competitions were already cancelled, many hoped to compete at Himachal Pradesh’s biggest dangal which is held in Kangra district. But now the organisers have decided to call off the Rs 1 crore prize money competition citing coronavirus pandemic as the reason.

The Kangra mud wrestling competition is held to pay reverence to local deities and are also a big source of entertainment for the locals. However, due to the outbreak of the virus, the organisers have decided to perform ‘pooja’ (prayers) to local deities without holding any wrestling competitions.

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The Kangra dangal was the biggest dangal of the May-June season and attracted many big names such as Jassa Patti and Mausam Khatri. It was also a big source of income for many wrestlers who relied heavily on its price money to earn their living. Raghubir Singh, a wrestler from Bhol Thakran and Jagdish from Lambanal village in Nurpur said they had been earning their livelihood by participating in these matches but the COVID-scare had hit them hard, reported The Tribune.

In Kangra, the Kyalu Baba wrestling of Gangath in Indora subdivision was the most popular bout in the region. Every year, lakhs of rupees were collected through mass donations by the wrestling committee and prizes of big amounts were awarded to winners.

Next season of dangal?

Kripa Shankar, former wrestler turned coach says that since the season is a whitewash, wrestlers will be eyeing for the remaining dangal seasons. “The current season is over. The ‘Saawan’ (monsoon) season will begin from July and then there will be a season during Diwali.

Way forward for dangals in post-COVID era

Shankar says that traditional wrestling is a very profitable business in which both the organisers and wrestlers earn well. He hoped for big broadcasting companies to telecast the game. “They make lakhs during dangal seasons. I feel in the coming days mud-wrestling would also go on air just like other sports,” he added.

Kushti has a long history in Indian culture and goes way back to the malla-yudh contests in the Mahabharat. “Mud wrestling is part of our tradition. Be it any religion, you will find a mention of wrestling in it. Angad Dev, the second of the 10 Sikh gurus always encouraged all the sections to engage in wrestling at the akhadas. It is a way of life for many and will not disappear just like that,” Patil concluded emotionally.

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