Decades-old Sukhna Lake akhada being tilled back to life
CHANDIGARH: After a gap of almost two-and-a-half months, the age-old ritual of tilling the soil, preparing it for wrestling and praying to the idol of Hanuman has returned to the Sukhna lake akhada— the only traditional wrestling centre in Chandigarh.
Almost five decades old, the akhada lies on a roadside between the lake and the golf course and is the oldest active akhada keeping the tradition of mud wrestling alive in the tricity.
NO GRAPPLING, NO GROUP EXERCISES
Though wrestling is a physical contact sport, and has not been allowed after sports activities resumed in a post-lockdown Chandigarh, life is returning back to normal at the akhada.
Except for slugging or doing group exercises in the mud pit, the wrestlers dressed in the traditional loincloth have started doing regular workouts outside the pit.
“For a wrestler, akhada is a sacred place. So I am really happy to be back here after a gap of two months. Because of social distancing we can’t wrestle, but we are able to workout. Nothing can match the atmosphere of training at the lake akhada,” says 15-year-old Sahil, who competed in the 55kg freestyle event at the under-15 national championship held last year at Kota, Rajasthan.
ONLY SENIOR WRESTLERS ALLOWED
Before the lockdown on any given day there used to be an attendance of over 50 wrestlers, but now only 15-20 wrestlers are allowed in the morning and evening sessions.
“We are only allowing senior wrestlers or the ones who have played at the nationallevel to come for training at the akhada. After the daily rituals, the wrestlers do their workouts outside the pit. Even during individual workouts we are taking care that proper distancing is maintained and there isn’t any sharing of equipment like weights, dumbbells, without sanitizing,” said Raja Phelwan, who works with Chandigarh Police and maintains the akhada.
In the 60s, there used to be a police post adjoining the akhada and the personnel who were posted there started training here. Since then the akhada has been maintained by the Chandigarh Police. The country’s top wrestlers including Olympic medallists Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt have trained here.
“The akhada is almost fifty years old. Even the legendary wrestler, Mehar Din, used to train here. Even during the time of terrorism, our seniors used to prepare the akhada (by tilling the mud) on a daily basis. For the first time during the lockdown, the tradition was put on a hold. Time we even missed the Hanuman Jayanti on April 27, which otherwise is a time for celebration here,” added Raja Phelwan.