Garadi Manes — Mysuru’s wrestling arenas… fight for survival

Mysuru, Aug. 10- Garadi Mane, the traditional wrestling houses where budding wrestlers are trained in the nuances of bouts on ‘matti’ (a muddy surface made of red soil), have been an integral part of Mysuru’s sporting heritage since the days of princely rule. Today, they are slowly fading into oblivion.

In wrestling, “tapping out” signals a wrestler’s surrender, usually by tapping their hand on the mat or on their opponent’s body to indicate defeat.

Mysuru is synonymous with Garadi Manes, having produced some of the finest wrestlers who once enjoyed royal patronage. Every year, wrestlers representing various wrestling houses and associations from Mysuru and other parts of the State showcase their prowess during the Nada Habba Mysuru Dasara, with the D. Devaraja Urs Multipurpose Grounds — adjacent to the Dasara Exhibition Grounds — hosting the bouts, which remain a major attraction of the annual festivities.

However, the city that once boasted 70 to 80 Garadi Manes is now left with barely 25 to 30, with several either reduced to rubble or crumbling in neglect — silent reminders of a glorious past slipping away.

Pathetic side

The Pailwan Srinivasannanavara Garadi Mane, located at Dodda Vokkalageri 4th Cross, near Irwin Road in Lashkar Mohalla, suffered a partial collapse in December 2024 and still awaits restoration.

It now resembles a skeletal structure, with wrestlers placing a wooden pole under the ceiling to prevent it from caving in completely. The local MLA, who inspected the site, had assured the construction of a new building — a promise that remains unfulfilled, rue the wrestlers.

Many Garadi Manes are in decline

The plight of the Gowdaiahnavara Garadi Mane on Akbar Road in Mandi Mohalla is equally heart-rending. The building came crashing down 15 years ago and has never been rebuilt. Today, the site is used as a parking lot.

The Lavar Basappa Garadi Mane, located on Mission Hospital Road in Mandi Mohalla, collapsed 20 years ago. Since then, repeated efforts have been made to secure Rs. 10 lakh for reconstruction, but to no avail.

Pailwan N. Ravi, President of Sri Shankar Mutt and Sri Rama Seva Trust, said that a memorandum has been submitted seeking Rs. 10 lakh to rebuild the Garadi Mane, along with the adjoining Rama Mandira and Shiva Temple.

Similar conditions prevail at Garadi Manes in Nazarbad, Ittigegud, Nanjumalige, K.G. Koppal and several other localities, where either the structures have collapsed or wrestlers have pooled funds themselves to carry out repairs — all in the hope of keeping the tradition alive.

Mobile phones to blame?

A senior wrestler attributes the dwindling interest in wrestling to the growing influence of mobile phones, which have captivated the younger generation. “The day is not far when wrestling will be something you only read about in books,” he warned.

Apart from the lack of encouragement for wrestlers, they lament that elected representatives rarely take serious notice of the urgent measures needed to conserve this rich slice of Mysuru’s history.

The story of Mysuru’s Garadi Manes is not just about dilapidated buildings — it is about a legacy under threat. If urgent steps are not taken to restore and protect these wrestling arenas, Mysuru risks losing a living tradition that once stood as a proud symbol of the city’s strength and culture.