Mallakhamb is a sport whose origins can be traced back to the 12th century, with a mention in Chalukya’s Manas-olhas, written around 1135 AD. But when these teenagers from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh started their drills, it was under the supervision of a parent, the only mallakhamb expert in the vicinity.

A meagre number of local and national level appearances later, it’s the inaugural edition of the All-India Invitational Mallakhamb Championship in Gwalior that has provided them with a stage to show off their skills.

As the dumbfounded contingent of a few reporters and locals looked on, on the second day of the competition, the gymnast-cum-yogis, if they can be called so, were eager to exhibit their acrobatic skills and some jaw-dropping poses.

As we stood bewildered by the utter ease with which they moved, the real beauty of the demonstration was all too obvious. Snaky swirls, the long-limbed stretches and intermediate gasps of breath that buffer the next formed part of a 90-second long demonstration that had to pass the judges’s keen eye before a team went through to the next round. The quality-quantity factor of judgement applies to the various asanas and poses that a group or an individual can exhibit within that time-frame.

Contrasting stories

With the results still awaited, the children were more than happy to share their stories.

Bajraang pakar expert Rahul Mahajan said he was an enthusiastic starter, but team mate Akash admitted that he had to overcome some family opposition before he took up the sport.

“Initially, my elder brother thought it would affect my studies adversely, and wouldn’t let me go out of the house. But sir (coach Patel) spoke to my parents and convinced them.

“The big attraction was the chance to travel, but when I first saw the twists and jumps, I wondered if I would be able to manage it. Now it’s easy,” he says. Akash, incidentally, scored 83 per cent marks in his last exams.

Kajal Deepak Kale’s case is similar. A member of the Sangli team for the rope event, he says: “When I was asked to climb the rope, I was a bit nervous. But it also got me excited, and so I went for it,” says the 19-year-old Air Force aspirant.

But the problems this age-old sport — which was once entertainment for lavish Indian rulers — is facing are bigger than its history. Competitions of this kind provide hope that popularity will spread, as does Yashodhara Raje Scindia’s assurance of taking things forward by seeking a demonstration slot at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

But the fact remains that the 900-year-old sport — forget busting popularity charts — has failed to traverse local boundaries. Even at today’s competition, 26 of the29 teams were from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, areas where mallakhamb traces its origins to.