Announcing Talk 315
#MallayuddhaToMMA: Continuity, Combat, And Cultural Memory | Online Talk by Kush Dhebar
The sculptures of grappling and pugilism on Vijayanagara’s monuments reveal the martial character of medieval Deccan. They depict how martial knowledge became an integral aspect of the Deccani courtly culture. What connects these older forms to today’s world of MMA (mixed martial arts)? At our Online Talk #MallayudhaToMMA, researcher and author Kush Dhebar, who has himself learnt different martial arts such as Wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, Capoeira, Boxing and Muay Thai and has been involved in the fight industry of present-day India and South Asia, speaks about how martial arts like Mallavidya or Kushti, Pahelwani, Wrestling, Grappling, to use other names, shaped so much of Indian culture and in turn got shaped by the cultural currents of the cosmopolitan and war-ridden medieval world. He attempts to tell the story of India and Deccan from the lens of martial and combat culture and how it has evolved into what it is today.
📍Sat | 2nd May | 6 PM | Zoom
Admission Free.
Register now at: Link in Bio
About the speaker:
@dhebarkush is a researcher, author, and consultant with over a decade of experience across archaeology, academia, and cultural projects. He is currently associated with the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Haryana. He holds a PhD from Deccan College, Pune, on martial art sculptures in Vijayanagara monuments, and has worked across 30+ archaeological sites in India, including excavations and extensive field documentation. He has authored 10 books and received the India Science Book Fellowship, and also works on documentaries, animations, and educational projects that make history engaging and cultural knowledge more relevant.
#KhakiLab #OnlineTalk #MartialArts #MMA #Mallavidya #Kushti #Pahelwani #MedievalDeccan #Vijayanagara #Sculptures #IndianHistory #IndianGames
