After 450 Years, Varanasi Akhara Opens Door To Women Wrestlers

One wrestling akhara. Two fierce 20-year-old girls. Mud on hands.... No, this is not a movie set. This is a pathbreaking time for all Varanasi girls who dream of making a career in wrestling.

Beside the banks of Ganga, Tulsidas Akhara in Varanasi has opened its gate for women to practise wrestling.

A 450-year-old stereotypical tradition ended on August 15 this year. This Diwali, the medieval wrestling ring will see girls wrestle it out, giving tough competition to boys

#UttarPradesh: Women join #Varanasi's #SwaminathAkhada at Tulsi Ghat after it opened its doors for them pic.twitter.com/Rt3a1KvWio

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 9, 2017

A Decade-Long Fight

The wrestling ring is managed by the Sankat Mochan temple trust. It's been almost a decade that Nandini Sarkar and Aastha Verma, both in their 20s, have been trying to convince the trust’s mahant to give women an opportunity to enter the akhara. It's their tireless efforts that made this huge change possible for girls this Diwali, The Times of India reports.

#Dangal effect? #Varanasi akhada welcomes women to fight wrestling for the first timehttps://t.co/SH273BfVpl@niteshtiwari22 @aamir_khan pic.twitter.com/7C2U27Drmj

— Oneindia News (@Oneindia) October 9, 2017

“Our coaches, Surendra Yadav and Gorakhnath Yadav, approached the mahant this year and convinced him that if the country can have a Prime Minister representing Varanasi for the first time, why can’t women achieve a first of their own?” Nandini told TOI.

Also Read: Phogat Sisters To Launch Wrestling Academy In Bengaluru

Getting this permission

The wrestling ring is dedicated to the bachelor god, Hanuman, thus the boundary. The city was in dire need of a rebel against this age-old tradition and it took two feisty youngsters to change the mindset

Both the girls are pursuing their graduation, along with wrestling. Slapping patriarchy in the face, they touched the mud pit on August 15, which coincided with the Nagpanchami festival.

“We were shown texts on Hanuman’s vow of bachelorhood and told that girls are impure and their presence is a sin for the God. But it’s the same God who gave us the strength to fight,” she told the publication.

Also Read: Haryana’s Sportswomen fight marriage norms to prep for Olympics

Struggle to make ends meet

Both Nandini and Aastha aren’t new names in the wrestling fraternity. They have represented Uttar Pradesh in wrestling and just by watching men wrestle in the akhara over the years, they have excelled in the sport.

Thanks to their never-ending struggles, Nandini and Astha have gained acceptance in the pit. But to afford proper training and diet, they need sponsors as their families struggle to make both ends meet.

Also Read: Years After String of Feats, Wrestler Family Fights For Their Due

Fighting Men

“There are times when men would try to pat us, just to feel us up. We usually answer such touches with a punch and tackle,” Nandini told TOI. Surely, to sustain in the field, both girls have to fight out gender battles first.

Here's to many more girls like Nandini and Astha who not only dare to step into a traditionally male domain, but fight to bring about a change in people's mindsets.

READ: Meet A Mongolian Girl Who Wants To Be A Sumo Wrestler

Feature Image Credit: Times of India

Read More Stories By Ria Das

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