Top 10 sports unique to India – With pics!

We all grew up watching and playing a variety of games as Indians, from the strange to the intellectual; over time, we’ve learned a lot. But there’s no denying that we live in a nation rich in culture and illustrious tradition. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that sports have always played a crucial part in Indian culture, dating back to the period when the Indian subcontinent first emerged. Consequently, we now have a thrilling list of unusual sports unique to India!

Sports unique to India:

10. Maut ka Kuan:

The “Wall of Death” is a fascinating game that is included in the list of odd Indian sports. Men do various acrobatics on bikes and in cars within a creaky wooden well as part of some enormous rustic fairs and shows. This entertains the crowd and creates an amazing and thrilling sport!

9. Kalaripayattu:

One of the earliest martial techniques still practised today is this one. Until more modern variations of Judo Karate and the other family of martial arts became more powerful, Buddhist monks who traversed the east brought it back to their countries and made it famous on a global scale. The Bihari Pari Khanda and the Manipuri Rhang Ta are intended to function similarly in terms of physical defence and personality development. It is regrettable that our enthusiasm for other Asian martial art styles has neglected these distinctive and extremely ethnic means of self-defence.

3. Thoda

This sport is a passionate ode to the Mahabharata character Abhimanyu, in whose honour martial arts competitions are held in Himachal Pradesh. In order to prevent serious injury, two teams of archers aim their arrows with a flat tip at one another.

4. Pachisi and Moksha Patam

It has been around since roughly the sixth century and is currently available on the app store. These games used to be primarily a way for monarchs and knights to kill time while they practised their besiegements and royal plans. The snake and ladder game was primarily a moralistic game during the pre-independence era, which meant that its didactic message was not to display excessive confidence when things are going well. Vanity brings about disaster! The complexities of international politics were also accurately portrayed by the Snakes and the Ladder.

5. Vallamkali:

Kerala’s traditional sport, Vallamkali, is one of the fascinating games practised during Onam. In it, competitors race their pointed boats through Alleppey’s backwaters, demonstrating a strong sense of teamwork.

6. Kho Kho:

The game of chase was primarily invented by the Maharashtrians, but because to the enthusiasm of schoolchildren, it quickly became part of common culture. The aim of the game, which is played by twelve people, is to escape being touched by the opposition. The game has been growing in popularity ever since the Kho Kho Federation of India was founded in the 1950s, and soon it may overtake kabaddi in popularity. In 1996, the game’s first championship was held. With its admission to the Indian Olympic Association, it quickly rose to popularity among South Asian nations and became a household name.

7: Yubi Lakpi:

It is a sport that existed before rugby. Both the players and the spectators enjoy a frenetic game performed in Manipur with a coconut in place of a ball.

8: Mallakhamb:

It is a traditional sport that combines martial arts and gymnastics. The rope variant and the hanging version are two of its variations. Here, guys demonstrate not only their remarkable physical prowess, bravery, and strength but also their tremendous mental prowess and concentration as they do their stunts.

9: Kite Duel:

Kite flying wasn’t the amusing hobby that youngsters enjoy nowadays; instead, it was a component of serious people’s competitions. The strings, which are frequently composed of glass-chopping material, are used to cut each other’s kites in the air. Watching kites of different colours compete in the limitless firmament is always fascinating to behold!

10: Vajra Mushti:

The Indian sepoys engaged in duels in a wrestling ring with the use of knuckles and great physical strength before weaponry became a staple of their armoury. Thus, Vajra Mushti is a precursor that resembles wrestling with ivory knuckledusters.

Conclusion:

India still needs to improve to become a diverse sporting nation, but changes are being made gradually. Sports fans congregate in vast numbers in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata. However, the growth of sports in India will be fueled by businesses and organisations creating new competitions, leagues, and teams.

So, this was all about the top ten sports unique to India. Also read, What is the most unique sport? 10 weird sports from the world!