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Hamirpur, 26 August (HS). In a small village of Hamirpur district, on Tuesday late evening, women showed wrestling moves in the wrestling ring as per the centuries old tradition. Women wearing veils lifted and threw each other in the wrestling ring. In the rainy season, men were not allowed entry in the unique wrestling ring of women. Women remained alert around the ring with sticks. In the wrestling ring that continued till late evening, the village sarpanch also honored the wrestling women.
In Lodipur Niwada village of Muskra area of Hamirpur district of Bundelkhand, a centuries-old tradition of women's wrestling was celebrated today. After the rain stopped, in the evening, women wearing veils lifted and threw each other in the ring in the middle of the village. Village Sarpanch Girja Devi inaugurated the women's wrestling. In the wrestling, Rama Devi Gupta wearing veil lifted and threw Girja in the ring, while Rani defeated Gatto, Manisha Pal defeated Khushboo Pal. In the wrestling, wrestling was held between Sampat Savita and Gyan Devi in which Sampat Savita was victorious, while Kesar lifted and threw Babli Sahu in the ring. In the wrestling that continued till late evening, Maya and Gauri wearing veils threw their friends on the ground with their moves. In the wrestling, many women including Shiv Kumari, Ramrati, Gyanvati Pal, Pyari, Heera, Sunita, Phoolmati and Phoolrani showed their moves in the ring. At the end of the wrestling competition, the village Sarpanch honoured the winning and runner-up women by giving them prizes.
There is no entry for men around women's wrestling arena
The village head Girja Devi told that every year on the second day of Rakshabandhan, a wrestling competition is held in the village only for women. This is a centuries-old tradition of wrestling in which women of the whole village gather. Along with women wearing veils, elderly women also enter the arena. She told that Lodipur Niwada of Uttar Pradesh is the only village where women's wrestling is held once a year. The head told that this wrestling competition has been held every year since before independence. The wrestling competition is also a good example of the bravery of women in the Bundelkhandi tradition.
Only women of the entire village enter the wrestling ring
The sarpanch told that in the centuries-old tradition of the village, only women wrestle. Men are not allowed in the women's wrestling. If any man tries to come near the wrestling arena, women armed with sticks chase him away. He told that during the women's wrestling, the men either stay at home or go out of the village. Before the women's wrestling, the women of the entire village collectively take out Kajli. After paying obeisance at the village temples, the women reach the arena singing auspicious songs. An elderly woman plays the drum in the wrestling arena.
This is the tradition of women's wrestling in a small village
Village Sarpanch representative Nathuram Verma and Suresh Shukla told that the elders had heard the story of the beginning of this tradition. They told that during the times of slavery, wrestling was taught to counter the atrocities of the British forces and to train women for self-defense. After which, inspired by the sacrifice of Jhansi ki Rani, women started participating in the wrestling. They told that in the wrestling, the responsibility of playing the role of drums to referee lies on women only. During the entire program, men and youth are kept away.
