Jean Denis Walter has opened the 3rd edition of the Sportfolio festival in Narbonne. This year there are 15 exhibitions that have been organised in the heart of the small commune of Aude. With many impending sporting events this month, such as Roland Garros, Euro 2016 and also the Le Mans 24 Hour Race, L’Oeil de la Photographie is going to share an aspect of Sportfolio 2016 with you every day for six weeks.
Today our focus is on the exhibition « Kushti » with photographs by Alain Schroeder.
Kushti is a traditional form of Indian wrestling taught in a particular kind of wrestling school known as an Akhara.
Wearing only a fitted loincloth, combatants – called pelwhans – train and fight in a wrestling pit, made of clay often mixed with salt, lemon and a form of clarified butter known as ghee.
The rule to win is simple: a wrestler loses if both his shoulders are pinned to the floor. But the rituals that precede each bout are just as important as the fight itself.
Kushti is, above all, a way of life that continues a long-tradition in which every fight is seen as a spiritual challenge. It requires self-discipline as rigorous as any martial art.
Wrestlers are committed to a spartan communal lifestyle as they dedicate body and soul to their chosen sport for between six and 12 months at a time, sometimes even longer.
Living and fighting together generates a sense of solidarity and brotherhood in an ancient sport for which time seems to have stood still.
Today, kushti is in decline in India, as young people get their sporting kicks from more global sports such as cricket or football.
It is also practised in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, while different forms can also be found in Turkey and in parts of Africa.
FESTIVAL
Sportfolio 2016
From May 27th to June 19, 2016
Curator : Jean-Denis Walter
Alain Schroeder, Kushti
Outdoor
Cour Mirabeau
11100 Narbonne
France
http://www.festivalsportfolio.fr
