Mallakhamb Yoga

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In modern India art Mallakhamb practiced yoga for more than two hundred years.
According to available sources, it originated more than two centuries ago in the state,
which today bears the name of Maharashtra. Term Mallakhamb is a combination of two words
Marathi language, spoken in Maharashtra:
- Malla mean wrestler
- Khamb means six.
The exercises are performed with the help of a wooden pole in order
to develop a skill, flexibility and strength of the ideal fighter.

Mallakhamb is a traditional Indian sport in which a gymnast performs poses and feats while hanging from a vertical wooden pole or rope. Mallakhamb also refers to the pole used in the sport.

The word "Mallakhamb" is composed of malla, which denotes a gymnast or a man of strength, and khamb, which is a pole. Mallakhamb, therefore, can be translated in English as pole gymnastics.


Originally mallakhamb was introduced as a supporting exercise for wrestling. Pole mallakhamb was invented by Balambhattdada Deodhar sometime between 1800 to 1810. Later on his student, Damodarguru Moghe, after realising that only major grips are developed with pole, invented mallakhamb on cane. During the course of time, the unavailability of cane resulted in to the current rope mallakhamb. Almost 25 to 30 types of mallakhamb apparatus were tried and tested.
Competitively there are three main variations of mallakhamb.



Pole or fixed mallakhamb

In this variation, a vertical wooden pole is fixed in the ground, and the participant performs various acrobatic poses and feats while hanging on the pole.

The mallakhamb pole used in competitions is a straight pole made of teak or sheesham wood, standing 2.6 m in height with a circumference of 55 cm at the base. It gradually tapers to a circumference of 35 cm at the top.


Hanging mallakhamb

Similar to the pole mallakhamb, the hanging mallakhamb is a wooden pole that is shorter in length than the standard Pole Mallakhamb and is hung from hooks and a chain, leaving a gap between the ground and the bottom of the mallakhamb.


Rope mallakhamb

In this variation, the participant performs exercises while hanging from a rope suspended from a support.


Health Benefits of mallakhamb

Mallakhamb is a complete exercise system which focuses on the body as a whole. However the major benefits of Mallakhamb are:-[citation needed]

- It enhances the overall strenth and power of the practitioner.

- It improves the stamina.

- It impacts each and every muscle of the body, thereby improving the muscular endurance of each muscle.

- It improves the balance and coordination.

- It enhances the agility and flexibility.

- It strengthens the grip and hand muscle in particular.

- It increases the cardio vascular fitness.