A martial art form in terminal decline 

Vajra Mushti Kalaga, a knuckleduster wrestling form popular in Vijayanagar Empire, is still practiced during Dasara. Referees intervene when first drop of blood is drawn. Portuguese travellers noted it in Navaratri celebrations. Now extinct, it has a hoary past but is on decline.

The ‘’vajra mushti kalaga’’ is a form of wrestling different from the conventional grappling and entails two jettys taking a swipe at each other’s head with a knuckleduster.

Whosoever draws the blood from the opponent’s head first is declared the winner. Though this form of wrestling was popular during the period of the Vijayanagar rulers who reigned between the 14th and the 17th centuries, it has gone extinct and takes place only during Dasara.

It was held at the palace premises on Tuesday to mark the Vijayadashmi of the Wadiyars and was witnessed by a large crowd.

The fight is real and the jetty’s make all efforts to draw blood from the opponent’s head and a referee intervenes on noticing the first drop. Sometimes the fight is over in matter of seconds but is nevertheless conducted.

Medieval travellers from Portuguese noticed this form of wrestling during the Navaratri celebrations in Vijayanagar empire and have left detailed accounts of it. Historically this form of martial art was popular and has a hoary past but has been on a decline and has gone out of vogue in modern times.