मल्लपुराण (ज्येष्ठिमल्ल - प्राचीन भारतीय मल्लविद्या, अखाड़ा व्यायाम व कुश्ती महाग्रन्थ)

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After the wrestling is over, the wrestlers are given sweetened water with
lemon and then they return home.
When they come back the women receive them by showing them lamp and
taking ovāraṇā. The lamp is lit in a small vessel prepared out of flour. A cake
of flour is also put there.
At the end of this ceremony the wrestlers enter the gymnesium and worship
the goddess, the neem branch is removed and victory to the goddess and Govind
is sung. Prasad is distributed.
The injured wrestler is generally treated by the earth of the gymnesium.
The wrestling is almost gladiatorial, hence it is a life and death struggle for the
wrestlers. According to the present tradition no death occurs, but this might
not have been the case looking to the nature of the wrestling, the elaborate reli-
gious preparations and the protection that is sought by this means.
Economic conditions
The wrestlers were paid 75-100 Rupees as pay and were given quarters,
gymnastic apparatus etc. After the wrestling was over they received prizes in
cash or kind. For festivals also they received grant from the Government. The
State used to maintain them in old age by pensions. Their economic position
was good. Now their economic position is unsatisfactory and they are forced to
take up any job. They work as teachers, factory workers, farmers, police officers,
merchants and earn their bread.
Diet
It is interesting to note that the Vajramuṣṭi wrestlers of the present day
are vegetarians. They take cereals, wheat, rice, bajri or jowar accompanied by
pulses and green vegetables. They show special preference for milk, curds, ghee
and other milk products. They used to consume large quantities of dry fruits
both raw and as condiments in the food. Molasses are consumed with food or
even as a drink by adding it in water. Similarly they use sugar and citrus fruits
specially lemon.
The Mallapurāṇa however clearly indicates their non-vegetarian diet by
describing the qualities of a variety of meat. It is not known when the transi-
tion to pure vegetarian food habit took place.
They did not take either liquor or tobacco, and considered them injurious,
Modern evaluation of their exercises
The physical culture is meant for all round development of bodily strength
and stamina and swiftness in individuals. The highly specialised exercises
developed by these Indian wrestlers are well suited to meet these needs.
Their system of starting the exercises have much to recommend. They do
not take up the sudden and violent form of exercise in the beginning as such