An Indian student practice various postures of traditional sport Pole Mallakhamba, during the training session at Shree Samarth Vyayam Mandir in Mumbai, India, 27 April 2018. Mallakhamba arose in the western state of Maharashtra centuries ago. It was originally practiced by wrestlers and soldiers as a strength training exercise. Malla means wrestler and khamba means pole in Marathi, though the term is the same in Kannada and Tamil. It is a sport of strength and power, which provides a complete exercise for the entire body in a short period of time. Mallakhamba requires the strength of wrestling and the flexibility of gymnastics and yoga, and practitioners must combine those elements to perform aerial yoga poses while gripping a vertical pole.