The Wrestler's Body: Identity and Ideology in North IndiaThe Wrestler's Body tells the story of a way of life organized in terms of physical self-development. While Indian wrestlers are competitive athletes, they are also moral reformers whose conception of self and society is fundamentally somatic. Using the insights of anthropology, Joseph Alter writes an ethnography of the wrestler's physique that elucidates the somatic structure of the wrestler's identity and ideology. Young men in North India may choose to join an akhara, or gymnasium, where they subject themselves to a complex program of physical and moral fitness. Alter's first-hand description of each detail of the wrestler's regimen offers a unique perspective on South Asian culture and society. Wrestlers feel that moral reform of Indian national character is essential and advocate their way of life as an ideology of national health. Everyone is called on to become a wrestler and build collective strength through self-discipline. |
Contents
Where Earth Is Turned Into | 26 |
The Alchemy | 58 |
The Discipline of the Wrestlers Body | 90 |
Snakes Sex and Semen | 136 |
Wrestling Tournaments and the Bodys | 167 |
Shakti Bhakti | 198 |
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Akhara Ram Singh almonds arena ascetic associated Atreya Banaras bathing bethaks bhang Bharatiya Kushti Bholu bodybuilding bodybuilding clubs bout brahmacharya caste Chamar clique cultural dands dangal Dehra Dun devotion diet disciple discipline drink energy essence exercise gada Gama guru Guru Hanuman guru's hand Hindu ibid ideals ideology important India Indian wrestling joris K. P. Singh Kaliya king Krishna Maharaja Mangala Rai massage milk moral move Nag Panchami Naga namaskar O'Flaherty one's organized Pahalwan passion Patodi patron patronage person physical pipal popular practice pure rajas Ramayana Ramju regarded regimen ritual rupees sannyas sannyasi sattva semen senior wrestlers sense sexuality shakti Sharma Shiva shrine significant skill snakes social somatic spiritual stance status strength structure surya surya namaskar symbolic temple tion tlers tling tournament trees Uttar Pradesh vyayam wres wrestler's body wrestlers Yadav yoga