Meet Hamida Banu, India's First Woman Wrestler Known As 'Amazon Of Aligarh'

Picture this-- It is May 4, only 70 years ago (1954). The kushti maidan teems with a multitude of pehlwans, predominantly men, displaying raw athleticism and vigour. That is until Hamida Banu steps in. A brawny woman in her 30s, she is confident and poised to take on any challenger. The audience recalls an announcement she had made earlier that year, "Beat me in a bout and I'll marry you." She was known to have beaten about 300 contenders in her career so far. On that decisive day in Baroda, Banu fought the famed wrestler Baba Pahalwan, who ultimately withdrew, refusing to face a woman. Banu won the bout in just 1 minute and 34 seconds.

To honour that historic day, Google has come u with a charming doodle by Bengaluru-based illustrator Divya Negi. On May 4, 2024, Google described Banu as a "trailblazer of her time, and her fearlessness is remembered throughout India and across the world. Outside of her sporting accomplishments, she will always be celebrated for staying true to herself."

Hamida Banu, India's First Woman Wrestler

Hamida Banu was born in 1900 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. She entered the realm of pehlwani (wrestling) to challenge the norm when women's participation in sports was discouraged. However, her passion overpowered stereotypes and she soon became the first (recorded) female wrestler in India, carving a path for a revolution.

In 1944, she made headlines when she turned up at the maidan to fight an esteemed wrestler called Goonga Pahalwan. The newspaper Bombay Chronicle reported that about 20,000 people came to witness the momentous match. After all, a woman standing at 5'3" (1.6m) and weighing 108kg was not a usual sight at the stadium. 

While Goonga cancelled the match at the last minute owing to his "impossible" demands, Banu made historic headlines. She was dubbed the 'Amazon of Aligarh' by journalists. A recent BBC report read, "A columnist wrote that one look at Banu was enough to send shivers down one's spine," describing the lasting impact she made.

Banu later moved to Mirzapur to train under a local wrestler named Salam Pahalwan. By the 1950s, she had established herself as a renowned challenger with determination and a fearless attitude. In 1954, Banu defeated Vera Chistilin, known as Russia's "female bear," in less than a minute in a bout in Mumbai. The same year, she announced she would go to Europe to fight wrestlers there.

Struggles As Woman Wrestler

Hamida Banu also faced many roadblocks in her wrestling career, when many wrestlers refused to fight a woman or doubted her capabilities. In 1987, author Maheshwar Dayal wrote in a book, "A few said that Hamida and male wrestlers would make a secret pact, and the opponent would deliberately lose." She was also often booed and stoned by the audience.

Many times, wrestling federations objected to her participation. Academic Ronojoy Sen wrote in his book Nation At Play: A History of Sport in India, "The blurring of sports and entertainment in these events is illustrated by the fact that Banu's bout was to be followed by a bout between two wrestlers, one lame and the other blind."

Banu's personal life was equally challenging. Quoting Feroz Shaikh, her grandson, BBC reported that Salam Pahalwan had tried to prevent her from going to Europe by breaking her limbs. Her neighbour Rahil Khan told the outlet, "She was unable to stand. It healed later, but she could not walk properly for years without a lathi [stick]."

After this incident, Hamida Banu's glorious name reportedly vanished from the wrestling scene. She moved to Kalyan, near Mumbai, and made a living selling dairy and snacks. According to Shaikh, her last days had been difficult until she died in 1986. Despite the struggles she faced, Banu's legacy as a trailblazing wrestler continues to inspire.