‘Mahadangal’ at Anant’s village marks wrestler’s 1st death anniversary

Patna: An international wrestling tournament, “Mahadangal”, was organised in JD(U) MLA Anant Singh’s native village in Nadwan, Mokama, on the first death anniversary of wrestler Vivek Singh alias Viveka Pahelwan. Interestingly, Anant was once a rival of Viveka Pahelwan. Wrestlers from India and abroad, including Iran and Georgia, took part in the tournament.

Among the international participants were Hamed, Irfan and Jalal from Iran and Teddu from Georgia. Wrestlers from several Indian states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, also displayed their skills in the arena.

During the bouts, Iran’s wrestler Jalal was defeated by Maharashtra’s Shiva, while a wrestler from Georgia defeated Delhi’s Rohit. Prize money worth Rs 51 lakh was distributed among 101 wrestlers.

The event was organised to honour the legacy and contribution of Viveka to wrestling. Singh, who had a turbulent past with Viveka, said the tournament was intended as a tribute to the late wrestler’s memory.

Singh and his younger son Abhinav Singh were also present at the venue to watch the bouts. Singh had a safa (turban) tied on his head.

The Mahadangal featured traditional wrestling on a specially prepared arena made of red soil mixed with turmeric, neem and mustard oil.

“We have come not to watch wrestling but to see Singh,” Sanjay Sahu, a resident of Mokama, said.

Bhojpuri singer Gunjan Singh also arrived at the venue during the event. The strongman waved a gamchha (towel) to his song.

Around 10,000 people were present at the ground and a feast was arranged for spectators who had travelled from outside.

The entire event was organised under the supervision of MLA Anant. He was released from Beur Jail last week after securing bail from Patna high court in the Dularchand Yadav murder case.

The programme is being seen as his first major public appearance after coming out of jail.

Viveka’s brother Arvind Pahalwan said, “My brother used to drink about 5 litres of milk daily. His diet included badam halwa and sharbat. He used to do thousands of dand-baithak (push-ups and squats) daily and run about 10 kilometres. It was the hard work that made him a great wrestler.”

Viveka, popularly known as Bihar Kesari, was a prominent figure in Indian wrestling and was known for his imposing physique and disciplined diet. He died on April 2, 2025, after suffering a heart attack.