GADAG: For 70 years, the villagers of Jakkali in Gadag district have upheld the tradition of kusti, or ‘desi dangal’. It is a sport passed down the generations, with village seniors and kusti pehelwans teaching youngsters and encouraging them to participate in local, regional and state-level competitions. Jakkali village, in Ron taluk of the district, is home to more than 50 pehelwans, with many coming in from neighbouring villages to learn kusti here.
A traditional vyayam shale or ‘garadi mane’ was built here in 1959, encouraging youngsters from the region to join and bring in medals and awards. The kusti is held on a ground where pehelwans throw each other into the mud, as they are cheered on by supporters. In the garadi mane, pehelwans have to typically lift gajas of different weights, drag weights of hundreds of kilos and pull stones weighing 75kg to 100kg as part of their exercises.
Love for the sport has survived many generations -- senior pehelwans teach specific skills to youngsters who are sent like warriors for kustis organised at village or town-level dangals during annual fairs. The fighters know a variety of traditional dangals like Bhimaseni pattu, Udakh, Nikhal, Jarasandhi pattu etc taught by kusti trainers who put in several hours to perfect the skill.
Matches are held every three years during the fair for the local deity. This year, the fair was organised in Jakkali, and desi dangal competitions were held, with many wrestlers from surrounding districts taking part.
Pehelwans Shalavadi Devappa, Kanyal Devappa, Hemanna, Kurtakoti retired PSI Ramanna Halagi recall their kusti days, and rue modernisation. “Modernisation hit our traditional style and some youths are going to modern gyms. We want to continue the tradition and invite more youths to learn kusti. Jakkali is the only village where seniors are taking time to teach kusti to youths and we are happy about it.”
Sangamesh Menasagi, a local, said, “Jakkali village is famous as ‘Gandhigram’ but is also famous for kusti. Many wrestlers participate in regional and state-level dangal competitions. Our youths learn traditional dangal and we are proud that there are so many wrestlers in our village.”
Clock will turn back
With some youngsters slowly moving towards traditional gyms, kustipatus are hopeful that the clock will turn back and the kusti trend returns. This time, hundreds of pehelwans from Belagavi, Davanagere, Dharwad, Bagalkot, Lakkundi, Tadasinakoppa and other places took part in the Jakkali dangal.
Villagers remember Mookappajja Sankanur who is one of the inspirations for kusti competitions and garadi mane. Mookappajja was a famous pehelwan of yesteryear, and was fondly called Jakkali Mookappa Pehelwan. Hence, all villagers offer floral tributes to him before any competition.
GARADI MOVIES
Garadi mane are shown in some Kannada and Hindi films. Famous among them are Rajkumar’s Mayura, which created a trend of garadi mane and kusti in the 1980s. During those days, each garadi mane would have 40-50 pehelwans flexing muscles after watching the film Mayura, said a senior pehelwan from Jakkali
Bollywood actors Salman Khan’s ‘Sultan’, Aamir Khan’s Dangal, and Kannada actor Sudeep’s ‘Pehelwan’ have also created a trend favouring garadi mane style exercises.
DANGAL DIET PLAN
Jowar roti with sprouts, green vegetables, sajjige (sweet made of rava, jaggery), ghee karjur, 2 litres of milk a day. If a pehelwan cannot afford to get all these things, some village seniors sponsor them and make them ready to participate in competitions
Youths who go to cities and towns face the problem of quality food, and also quantity. In garadi mane and kusti training, they need desi cow milk, not milk in sachets. Food in cities and towns are not enough for pehelwans.