India, traditional mud wrestler
Traditional mud wrestler on a clay pit in the Shivramdada Talim akhara in Pune, India.
Kushti is a traditional form of Indian mud wrestling, an ancient culture where wrestlers live and train together and follow strict rules on living a pure life. Kushti is over 3,000 years old and is practiced all over India, but also in Pakistan and Iran. Akharas can be found in rural areas as well as in big cities like Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata.
The wrestlers come from across all India. Many of them have been away from their families virtually all their life. They consider the community in the akhara as their family. Many of the boys come from poor families and Kushti is a chance to break out of the cycle of poverty.
Website: Dietmar Temps, photography
India, traditional mud wrestler
Traditional mud wrestler on a clay pit in the Shivramdada Talim akhara in Pune, India.
Kushti is a traditional form of Indian mud wrestling, an ancient culture where wrestlers live and train together and follow strict rules on living a pure life. Kushti is over 3,000 years old and is practiced all over India, but also in Pakistan and Iran. Akharas can be found in rural areas as well as in big cities like Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata.
The wrestlers come from across all India. Many of them have been away from their families virtually all their life. They consider the community in the akhara as their family. Many of the boys come from poor families and Kushti is a chance to break out of the cycle of poverty.
Website: Dietmar Temps, photography