Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter I
2. Contents VII
3. Illustrations IX
4. Note on Translation XI
5. Preface XIII
6. 1. Search and Research 1
7. 2. The Akhara: Where Earth Is Turned Into Gold 26
8. 3. Gurus and Chelas: The Alchemy of Discipleship 58
9. 4. The Patron and the Wrestler 70
10. 5. The Discipline of the Wrestler's Body 90
11. 6. Nag Panchami: Snakes, Sex, and Semen 136
12. 7. Wrestling Tournaments and the Body's Recreation 167
13. 8. Hanuman: Shakti, Bhakti, and Brahmacharya 198
14. 9. The Sannyasi and the Wrestler 214
15. 10. Utopian Somatics and Nationalist Discourse 237
16. 11. The Individual Re-Formed 256
17. Appendix: The Nature of Wrestling Nationalism 261
18. Glossary 265
19. Bibliography 271
20. Index 295