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The Sports Ministry has approved the inclusion of four indigenous Games(Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta & Mallakhamba ) to be a part of Khelo India Youth Games 2021, scheduled to take place in Haryana.
A brief note on the indigenous games
Gatka
- Gatka originates from Punjab and this traditional fighting style of the Nihang Sikh Warriors is used both as self-defense as well as a sport
- The Punjabi name gatka properly refers to the wooden stick used. The word originates as a diminutive of Sanskrit gada “mace”
- There are many weapons used in Gatka like, Stick, Talwar, kirpan and kataar.
- The attacking and defense methods are based upon the positions of the hands feet and nature of weapons used.
- Gatka’s theory and techniques were taught by the Sikh gurus
- After the Anglo-Sikh wars the art was banned by the new British administrators of India in the mid-19th century.
- It is also displayed during the different celebrations or at fairs in Punjab
Kalaripayattu
- Kalaripayattu has its origin from Kerala and has practitioners all over the world
- Kalaripayattu is a martial art designed for the ancient battlefield (the word “Kalari” meaning “battlefield”), with weapons and combative techniques that are unique to India.
- Kalaripayattu is held in high regard by martial artists due to its long-standing history within Indian martial arts. It is believed to be the oldest surviving martial art in India.
- It is also considered to be among the oldest martial arts still in existence, with its origin in the martial arts timeline dating back to at least the 3rd century BCE
- Kalaripayattu is mentioned in the Vadakkan Pattukal (northern ballads) written about the Chekavar from the Malabar region of Kerala.
Thang-Ta
- Thang-Ta, a Manipuri martial art has passed into oblivion in recent decades.
- It is one of the components of Huyen langlon martial art
- Huyen langlon consists of two main components: thang-ta (armed combat) and sarit sarak (unarmed fighting).
- The primary weapons of huyen langlon are the thang (sword) and ta (spear)
- The thang-ta aspect of huyen langlon can be practiced in three ways: ritual, demonstration, and combat.
- The first way is related to tantric practices and is entirely ritualistic in nature.
- The second way consists of a spectacular performance involving sword and spear dances. These routines can be converted into actual fighting practices.
- The third way is the true combat application.
- Thang-ta shares a connection with certain war-dances, often blurring the line between dance and combat forms, such as thangkairol (sword dance) and khosarol (spear dance).
Mallakhamba
- Mallakhamb is a traditional sport, originating from the Indian subcontinent, in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga or gymnastic postures and wrestling grips in concert with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane, or rope.
- The word Mallakhamb also refers to the pole used in the sport.The pole is usually made from sheesham (Indian rosewood) polished with castor oil.
- The name Mallakhamb derives from the terms malla, meaning wrestler, and khamb, which means a pole. Literally meaning “wrestling pole”, the term refers to a traditional training implement used by wrestlers.
- The origin of Mallakhamb can be traced to the 12th century, where it is mentioned in Manas-Olhas – a classic by Chalukya in 1135 A.D. For seven centuries, the art lay dormant, till it was revived by Balambhatta Dada Deodhar, the sports and fitness instructor to Peshwa Bajirao II
- Mallakhamba has been well-known across India and Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been the hotspots of this sport
- In 2013 the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh declared Mallakhamba the state sport
Source: PIB
