A VISIT TO GURU JASRAM AKHADA
Guru Jasram akhada is on Mathura road highway in south Delhi, near Modi Mill flyover. It is one of the biggest and reputed akhadas in India. The akhada is run by 90 years old Guru Jasram ji, who won ‘BHARAT KESARI’ title several times. Students come here on the name of Guru Jasram ji because of his reputed career and several achievements in his life. He has always been very dedicated towards his students. He is so aged that he can’t walk properly but he came everyday here. There was no coach here provided by Delhi government. The low facilities here shows that this a lesser known sport. This akhada gave a number of international wrestlers but still not able to get a coach for them. Everyday Guru Jasram ji comes to the akhada at 5 am and 3 pm to train wrestlers here.
About 100 students come here to get training and the numbers keep on adding. Out of them, 20 wrestlers are also adopted by the government and given scholarships. Guru ji is both sincere and amiable and he wants his wrestlers to bring honor to this country. The akhada has a strong discipline and every student had to follow the rules of this akhada.
This akhada gave 8 ‘BHARAT KESARI’ winners, 5 international wrestlers, 6 ‘ARJUNA AWARDEE’, 2 ‘DRONANCHARIYA AWARDEE’, and every student almost have one medal in National and State level wrestling championship. Wrestlers here practice in mud during summers, and in winters they practice on mat. So, wrestlers here know both kind of wrestling. Wrestlers here almost practice for 6 hours every day.
Out of 100 wrestlers, 40 wrestlers live here in the akhada itself. The akhada is very compact and the rooms here are very less. There are not good facilities here for the wrestlers. There are 10 rooms in which these wrestlers live.
There is no gym facilities in the akhada. The eldest wrestler here is VIKRAM BEHL who is a ‘BHARAT KESARI ‘ winner and the youngest here is a 10 year old who came here from a nearby village. He is a student of 7th class. He joined this akhada about 10 months ago. The wrestlers here are very hard working and dedicated towards wrestling.
There were no women wrestlers here in this akhada due to the less space and facilities.
