I read in a book, “Stories about the wrestlers of Lahore are never ending and till three decades ago, the people of Lahore while sitting on tharas (platforms) had stories to spend numerous nights and days forgetting their other work and houses. While talking they would start imagining themselves inside the Minto Park, watching the live Shahi Dangal (dangal means a wrestling competition) and applauding the giant and celebrated wrestlers of Lahore like Afzal Mahni, Phajji Tondia Mazangia, Bholo Pehalwan, Bulhar and many more whereas the history of Lahore’s wrestling competition started from the big names like Kikar Singh, Ghulam Muhammad Pehalwan, Goonga Pehalwan and Imam Bakhsh Pehalwan”.
Well reading all that gave me goosebumps and for a while I thought where did this culture vanish? The game has lost its popularity in Lahore, which is extremely sad. Have we abandoned the history and games that made Lahore famous in the world? Wrestling competitions of Lahore were a reflection of the peoples’ spirit and zeal for this game and wrestling was a part of Lahore’s character. Historians claim that there was no prominent wrestler in the sub continent who did not visit Lahore for a Dangal. Lahore was known as a land of Pehalwans (wrestlers) formerly.
The old wrestlers are in a poor condition at present and this is worrisome
Till a few decades ago, we did have the Pehalwan families in Lahore, practicing their art but with the passage of time they vanished too. History of Lahore proudly says that discussing Dangal and Pehalwan was the most popular talk for most people after closing down their businesses and on their way back from work. The thara culture, hammam shops (bath and barber shops), tea stalls, parks, chowks and everywhere inside the old city, men would gather to talk about Dangal and Pehalwans. People had their own Pehalwan heroes and many a times there were fierce fights among the Pehalwan supporter groups in order to show off their heroes. Hammam shops in Taxali, Allah Wasaiya Hammam in Bhatti and few inside Mochi and Sheranwala Gates were the hotspots for these discussions. Also, while the Pehalwan were practicing early mornings, the locals would gathered around their akhara and watch them training. I came across an interesting fact that every Pehalwan had a Khalifa (leader) and while going into the akhara the Pehalwan took his permission. The Khalifa would through some mud from the akhara onto the Pehalwan and then allowed him to enter into the akhara. Each group of Pehalwan was called ‘ daf’ and during a Dangal the leader of each daf gathered information about the opponent’s daf. Many days before a Dangal, the campaigning was started inside the walled city and it gives me an impression that wrestling campaign was more aggressive than the present political election campaigns. Posters and banners of the wrestlers were printed and pasted in the city and every man on the tea stall or shop remained busy campaigning for his Pehalwan. The grand Dangal was named as Shahi Dangal and the government supported it. Other than the main Shahi Dangal other famous competitions were namely, Poput Dangal, Ghalib Dangal and Itefaq Dangal. A day before the grand Dangal a procession of the people along with wrestlers sitting on tongas accompanied by music bands was seen in the city streets. Wrestling was considered a prestigious profession and the locals would call ‘Pehalwan ji’ to anyone they respected. There was a time when the locals of Androon Lahore or old Lahore claimed proudly that this game and akhara culture would never die, but with the death of those claimants the game too met an ill fate. Wrestling was a profession of respectable people and the wrestlers were the caretakers of their own Mohallahs so that no crime takes place. So where did this culture and profession go?
Unfortunately our younger generation is unaware of this game and its detachable connection with the heritage and culture of Lahore. I got to know that there were almost twelve arenas inside the city and most popular were located inside Bhatti, Shah Almi and Sheranwala. Lahore’s major wrestling contests before 1947 were held in Minto Park. Many famous Dangal in different Akharas of the city were held in old times. The wrestlers would prepare for them the whole year. Regrettably at present there are only four functional Akharas in Walled City out of which two belong to the famous Shahiya Pehalwan and other two are located in Lohari Gate. Recently an Arena near Tibbi Thana has been closed down as the wrestlers were not getting sufficient economic benefit.
Let me tell you another interesting fact about the Pehalwan’s life. The wrestlers in old days had a very tough routine and only then they were known by the world. They had to sleep after the Isha prayers and wake up at three in the morning. Anyone not following the routine had to face the tantrums of the senior trainers. The wrestlers would get their bodies rubbed with oil which was to build their muscle force and special oils were used. They had to take more than ten liters of Sardai, milk, and almonds per day along with heavy meat meals and desi ghee, which one cannot think of eating a day now. After all these foods and drinks the wrestlers were allowed to step into an Akhara. The senior wrestlers were assigned to discuss the faults and tactics of wrestling.
Would you believe that the world famous wrestlers were from Lahore! Gamma Pehalwan the most famous wrestler titled as Rustam-e-Hind and later Rustam-e-Jahan had defeated the American champion Benjamin Roller in just 1 minute, 40 seconds. Later he defeated Zybisko, a Polish champion, in 1935 in an amazing 40 seconds fight. Gama also defeated a Japanese Hall of Fame wrestler Inoki, and JC Peterson in just 45 seconds. A wrestler named Jhara Pehlwan had defeated Hulk Hogan in a hectic fourteen hour match. Other wrestlers who were famous all over the world were Rustam-e-Hind Imam Bux, Hameeda Pehlwan, Ghaus Pehlwan, Lala Raj Pehlwan, Kala Pehlwan, Ikka Pehlwan, Billa Pehlwan Chabuksawar, Bholu Pehlwan, Kala Pehlwan Sheeshagar and Achha Pehlwan. Now we do not see such popularity of the wrestlers here where as let me tell you that a young wrestler Muhammad Inam from Gujranwala won a gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia despite being not from Lahore I was happy for him that at least someone was there to represent this cultural game of our ancestors.
The old wrestlers are in a poor condition at present and this is worrisome. A wrestler Khadim Hussain known as Ami Pehalwan is sometimes seen sitting outside Mohammadi Mohallah inside Delhi Gate selling juices and sardai. He was the grandson of the famous wrestler Natha Pehalwan who was once the title holder of Rustam -e-Hind but Khadim Hussain had to change his profession because according to him it was no more a respectable one and was neither enough to run his home. He was sad over the fact that the government had no attention towards wrestling neither it was not at funding the wrestlers, whereas he said that in India the government looked after their wrestlers and had managed to carry on the game.
Old wrestlers, which are hardly seen now, blame the new technologies of gym culture and food supplements for killing the traditional cultural mood of wrestling. Well, that’s a sad thing to notice and in my opinion the government and The Pakistan Wrestling Federation should also work on promoting this cultural asset once again and take it to a level where it was in old times, like till three decades ago. The way government is investing in cricket it should not forget the sports and games which were the feature of this country and city and which brought pride to Lahore.
Published in Daily Times, June 9th 2018.