 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2019) |
 A mallakhamba team performs on the pole, 2015 | |
| Highest governing body | Mallakhamb Federation of India |
|---|---|
| First played | c. 2nd century BCE |
| Characteristics | |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Type | Indoor or outdoor, gymnastics, pole sports |
| Equipment | Wrestling grips, vertical pole |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | India |
| Olympic | 1936 |
Mallakhamba, or mallakhamb is a traditional sport, originating from the Indian subcontinent, in which a group of gymnasts perform aerial yoga and gymnastic postures using wrestling grips in concert with a stationary vertical pole. The word "mallakhamb" also refers to the pole used in the sport.[1] The pole is usually made from sheesham (Indian rosewood) polished with castor oil.[2] Other popular versions of mallakhamba are practiced using a cane or a rope instead of a pole.[3] The origins of pole dancing can be traced back to the sport of mallakhamba.[4]
The name mallakhamba derives from the terms malla, meaning wrestler, and khamb, which means a pole. Literally meaning "wrestling pole", the term refers to a traditional training implement used by wrestlers.[5]
On April 9, 2013, the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh declared mallakhamba the state sport. As of 2017[update], more than 20 other states in India have followed suit.[6]
- ^ Dyck, Noel (2000). Games, sports and cultures. Oxford: Berg. p. 96. ISBN 1-85973-312-3. OCLC 44485325.
- ^ Sport in the USSR. - Issues 1-12; Issues 286-297, pp.9
- ^ Bromber, Katrin; Krawietz, Birgit; Maguire, Joseph, eds. (2013). Sport Across Asia: Politics, Cultures, and Identities. Routledge. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-415-88438-9. OCLC 800447515.
- ^ Kapur, Mallika (September 11, 2017). "Aarifa Bhinderwala: India's pioneering pole dancer". CNN.
- ^ "Mallakhamb – History, Indian Gymnastic Pole, Information In English". Mumbai, India. September 12, 2018.
- ^ "Mallakamb: The art of aerial yoga". Hindustan Times. June 11, 2017. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2019.