Mumbai, India. 2014.07.07 - New Delhi, India. 2016.02.02

Much more than a sport, this traditional form of Indian wrestling offers its adherents a spiritual quest, a sacred space, and an unparalleled atmosphere of social unity.

Kushti is a traditional form of Indian wrestling established centuries ago in Persia. In vogue particularly during the 16th-century Mughal era, this martial art continues to be practiced today. Indeed, kushti is more than traditional Indian wrestling: it is a way of life, perpetuating a tradition where every encounter serves as a spiritual quest. More than a sport, it is a lifestyle that requires the rigorous discipline of all martial arts.

Inside specially-built gymnasiums, known as an akhara, the wrestlers gather each day. Wearing only a well-adjusted loincloth (langot), wrestlers or pelwhans enter a pit made of clay to face off. The material is often mixed with salt, lemon and ghee (clarified butter). This clay, representing Mother Earth, is renewed every two years. Before every match, each wrestler covers the body of his adversary with this earth, whose color varies by region (red in Kolhapur, yellow in Varanasi). During combat, the coated bodies meld with the color of the arena.