Apurva Dutta
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As Indians, we all have grown up watching and playing tons of games, from the bizarre to brainy; somehow down the lane, we’ve picked up a lot However, there’s no doubt to the fact that we are a land of culture and distinguished tradition. So, it’s but obvious that from a time that marks the beginning of the Indian subcontinent to now, sports plays a quintessential role in the psyche of India. Thus, here we are with an exhilarating list of sports that are uncommon yet enthralling!
- Maut ka kuan:
Another intriguing game that’s a part of the unusual Indian sports list is in literal terms the “wall of death”. It forms a part of certain humongous rustic fairs and exhibitions where men perform miscellaneous stunts on bikes and cars inside a creaky wooden well. This amuses the audience and truly forms a phenomenal and thrilling sport!
- Thoda- Martial arts with bow-arrow:
This sport is an ardent allegiance to Abhimanyu of the Mahabharata in whose memory such a sport/martial arts takes place in Himachal Pradesh. It includes two teams of archers as they direct their arrows towards each other with a flat tip to avoid serious injuries.
- Yubi Lakpi- The original rugby:
It is a game that predates rugby. A thrilling game played in Manipur with a coconut instead of a ball is much of a delight for both, the players as well as the audience!
- Vallamkali:
Vallamkali is a traditional sport of Kerala that forms a part of the fascinating games being played during Onam. It involves participants highly imbued with the spirit of team work as they race their pointed boats in the backwaters of Alleppey.
- Mallakhamb:
It’s an ancestral sport that amalgamates gymnastics with martial arts. Two of its versions include- the rope version and the hanging one! Here men flaunt not only their extraordinary strength, valor and prowess but also immense mental strength and concentration as they carry out their stunts.
- Kalarippayattu:
Well, “the mother of martial arts” is here and it all comes from the incredible state of Kerala! It includes usual striking and kicking with subtle use of weapons in self-defense. It’s an incredible sight for the audience much in awe of the agility and great tactics of the participants.
- Vajra Mushti- Fists of Thunder:
Before weapons formed a quintessential part of the Indians sepoys arsenal, duels occurred in a wrestling ground with the use of knuckles and extreme physical strength. Vajra Mushti is thus a predecessor which is essentially wrestling armed with knuckledusters made of ivory.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP9Nrq4BhRo/?hl=en&tagged=vajramushti
- Kite Duel – Master of the sky:
Kite flying wasn’t the fun activity that kids indulge in today and was a part of competitions between serious people. The strings are often made of glass-cutting material which helps in slicing each other’s kites in the sky. It’s always a captivating sight to watch kites of varied hues battling it out in the infinite firmament!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Blr_OKSneVm/?hl=en&tagged=kiteflyingday
