Maram Khullen lifts veil off closely guarded tradition
Source: The Sangai Express / Athokpam Jiten

Imphal, January 04: Thanks to octogenarian queen of Maram Khullen (Marameinamdi), Hinga for her permission to publish this photograph of naked wrestling, a sporting tradition now still alive but which has been a closely guarded tradition of the village till the other day.

Naked wrestling is the most important event of the sportive festival of Kang Hi which is exclusively for male.

It is a sport to test strength and establish heroism of the youths of Maram Khullen.

The closely guarded tradition of disallowing publication of any picture of naked wrestling was relaxed on January 2.On this day, media persons were allowed to take photographs of naked wrestling held as a part of Kang Hi festival at the courtyard of the Maram Khullen queen.

Even as the media was allowed to publish news stories on Kang Hi in the past, they were never allowed to publish photographs of naked wrestling.

This is the first time that a picture of this unique indigenous game is being published to the outside world.

This picture was also taken from a distance.

Elders of Maram Khullen insisted on not taking the pictures from close range but from beyond the wrestling arena and outside the courtyard.

Traditional wrestling with its unique style underway

Kang Hi is a post harvest festival celebrated for a week starting from the 16th day of a particular lunar month of the Marams.

Usually, the festival falls in the last week of December or in the beginning of January.

The festival is an occasion to test strength and score victory over one another without any malice but in the true sporting spirit amongst the Mathak Sagei, Khullakpa Sagei and Makha Sagei of Maram Khullen which has now reached a population figure of 10,000.Maram Khullen is about 6 kms above the Maram Keithel located along NH 39 in the hills.

This is the place where Maram tribe made their first settlement.

Talking about the living tradition of naked wrestling, son of Maram Khullen chief K Namba (53) said that even as the traditional rules of the game prohibit any form of clothing in naked wrestling as the name suggest, a few wrestlers are now wearing little piece of clothes around their waists.

In the past, any male villager who came to the wrestling court with his clothes on was taken as a coward and unmanly.

Two wrestlers participating in naked wrestling would face each other in a single round.

Women may watch this indigenous form of wrestling but their seats are given a little distance away from the wrestling court and they are not allowed to come closer, Namba said.

In case of any undesirable rivalry between two opposing wrestlers or between their groups/clans and in the event of any miscreant disturbing a wrestling match, the Khullakpa/Khullakpi will adjudicate the case.

There is no custom of giving any material prize to the winner of a wrestling competition but it has been in practice since ages to award him with a heirloom usually a cloth, he informed.

Since the advent of Christianity in the area, there has been some changes in the way Kang Hi was celebrated.

"Even as my Khullakpi mother never adopted Christianity, I'm a Christian now", conveyed K Namba.

MLA K Raina who grew up in Maram Khullen Mathak Sagei said that before the arrival of the festival, all men including married and unmarried of each Sagei (clan) should stay in village male dormitories for about a month in advance to train themselves and build up their strength there.

Stone/weight throwing contest, long jump, hoi laoba, and religious rituals are other events of the festival.

In events other than wrestling, women and girls used to offer rice beer to village elders, Raina who also participated in the Kang Hi festival said.

According to Maram circle joint secretary Ping David, there are about 15 villages in Maram circle.

Earlier Kang Hi festival was celebrated in a big and elaborate manner.

But by about 1980, its celebration got gradually reduced in magnitude.

This may be attributed to adoption of Christianity by the villagers, David observed.