Kushti wrestling is an ancient discipline – and a way of life. These wrestlers in Mumbai sit in a pit made of earth scooped from the Ganges and mixed with clay and ghee. Since boyhood, they have followed a simple routine of training, eating, sleeping and competing: living, learning and training together at an akhara, a boarding house meets gymnasium.
The men lead a near monastic existence, adhering to celibacy, vegetarianism and teetotalism, until they retire when they reach their mid-30s. “This is linked with religious practice and symbolises respect for the Earth and a connection to one’s roots,” explains Jim Fenwick, the photographer behind the shot. “It’s a demonstration of humility and grounding before engaging in a physical contest.”
Fenwick submitted the photo to a photography campaign run by Suicide&Co, a national charity supporting people bereaved by suicide in the UK, and The Photography Movement, a collective that helps people to express their feelings and emotions through photography.
