Date:11/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/11/stories/2008101157040300.htm

Karnataka

Scores throng ‘Jhangi Kusti’ venue

Staff Correspondent

Muscle power: Wrestlers participating in the Jhangi Kusti competition in Chitradurga on Friday.

Chitradurga: Thousands thronged the wrestling ground at Mirugharajendra Math here on Friday to watch Jaidev Jhangi Kusti competition organised by the math as a part of the ongoing Sharana Samskriti Utsav.

Wrestling, popularly called Jhangi Kusti, attracts a huge crowd as this martial art has been a crowd-puller since the ancient days in this historic city.

About 150 wrestlers from across the State participated in the competition. They were mostly from places such as Belgaum, Dharwad, Mysore, Bangalore, Davangere, Hukkeri, Nippani and Harihar besides the wrestlers of local Garadi Mane.

Three former wrestlers, Pehelwan Tippeswamy of Burujanahatti, Pehelwan Maradi of Karuvina katte and Pehelwan Rehman of Horapete functioned as the refereesTraditional rituals were performed before the commencement of the competition. The math had also announced awards for the winners, which included a memento and cash prize. Manju, a wrestler of Hukkeri taluk of Belgaum district got the best wrestler award — the ‘Chinmulardi Kesari’ award. Shivamurthy Murugharajendraswami of Murugha Math gave away the prize.