Akhara

A documentary photography series. Kolkata, India, 2026

This is a series made inside and around a single akhara — a traditional Indian wrestling ground — on the banks of the Hooghly River in Kolkata.

Two young boys practicing wrestling in a dirt or sand training area, with a background of a wire fence, potted plants, and statues. One boy has lifted the other in a wrestling move.
Two men practicing a traditional Indian wrestling style indoors, with one man standing and the other performing a headstand on a sandy surface.
A young boy in red shorts is reaching out to shake hands with a man kneeling on sandy ground, who is also shirtless and wearing red shorts. Several other shirtless men are nearby, sitting on the sand, with trees and a white fence in the background.
Child climbing on a sandy indoor play area, with sand on their hands and feet and an orange climbing structure in the background.
Three men and a young girl on a sandy floor, involved in a traditional Indian wrestling match. The girl is upside down, smiling, with her head touching the ground and legs lifted. The men are supporting her; one is behind her, and another is on his k
Two boys wrestling on the ground in a dirt area within a fenced enclosure, with orange traffic cones and concrete pillars in the background.
Two young men are wrestling on a sandy surface inside a room, with one lying on his side and smiling, and the other on top, both appearing engaged in a physical activity.
Two shirtless men are grappling on a sandy surface, with one man on top and the other on the bottom, in a fenced outdoor area. A small boy is in the background watching the scene.
People participating in a traditional wrestling match on a sandy ground.
Two men are engaged in a traditional wrestling match inside a covered courtyard, with onlookers observing nearby.

Training on the open riverbank beside the Hooghly, with Howrah Bridge receding into the haze behind.

Man standing outdoors near water, wearing only red underwear, holding a traditional wood and rubber hammer, with trees, a bridge, and people in the background.
A man holding a large red wooden stick on his right shoulder, shirtless, standing near water with a bridge in the background and tree branches overhead.
Young boys practicing martial arts outdoors, with a boy swinging on a rope and others standing nearby, a dog watching, and banners and posters on the wall in the background.

The daily training rituals of kushti wrestlers at Siyaram Akhara Byayam Samity: sparring in the earthen pit, exercising with traditional weighted clubs, climbing ropes, working iron bars, and lifting weights in a back room.

Men in loincloths exercising outdoors near a large tree and a body of water, with onlookers in the background.
Men and boys in traditional loincloths practicing wrestling outdoors under trees, with spectators watching in the background.
A person performs a headstand on a horizontal bar in an outdoor area, with another person watching nearby. The person is upside down with legs spread wide apart and hands clasped together at their neck. The scene is set in a dirt courtyard with trees
A man doing a leap on a horizontal bar outdoors with trees and a building in the background.
A man lifting a barbell inside a room with posters of a spiritual figure on the wall. The man is shirtless, wearing orange clothing, and standing in front of an open door.
A young man performing a push-up on a wooden plank in a rustic indoor gym with laundry hanging from the ceiling and spectators outside the window.
Two men hanging upside down from a gymnastic bar outdoors near a river, with trees and a bridge in the background. People are sitting and standing nearby.
Young boys practicing traditional Indian game of flying kites in an outdoor courtyard with trees, banners, and posters on the walls.

The guru keeps this place open for all aspiring wrestlers and continues the tradition set by his father.

Men engaged in a traditional Hindu ritual known as 'Potath' or 'Kumkum Abhishekam', where they anoint each other's faces with turmeric paste inside a temple. Several onlookers, including children and adult men, observe the ceremony. The setting is a
A man in a gray jacket and gray pants is handing a medal to a shirtless wrestling contestant covered in dirt, seated on the ground. Another shirtless man stands behind him, also dirty, with a few people and a fence in the background.
A shirtless man in red shorts lifting a barbell in a dimly lit room with green walls.