Kushti is a style of wrestling that has been for centuries one of the most popular Indian’s traditional rural past times. Whole villages would turn out to watch local tournaments.

Young men, some as young as 12, learn to wrestle in "akharas", as the muddy pits are called in Hindi, hoping their skills may one day lead them to fame and glory.
Enduring exhausting training and spartan living conditions, the kids are determine to escape the poverty of their home villages, and fulfil their dream: to become a champ.

They live and train in schools, which become their second family. Every day, starting before dawn, boys practice for more than 6 hours under the guidance of their coach and of the elders.
Meals are vegetarians and celibacy is observed. Dedication to the sport is total.

Everywhere in India wrestling schools are to be found.
From Delhi, off a busy lane of the Old city where Guru’s Hanuman Akhara, the most famous wrestling school is located, to the southern city of Kolhapur where Kushti has a long tradition with several schools near by the main temple.