Episode 10: A Ringside View of Women’s Wrestling in U.P.

  On a cool day in February, on a ground strewn with rose and marigold petals, two swarthy pehelwans engage in intense combat. One is thick and solid, in a red singlet and undershirt; the other, more toned, wears a red langot. They grapple on the mud, freshly packed for a dangal in Jaitpur, Mahoba.    She is draped over his back, face-down, with his head tightly scissored between her thighs as she tries to force his chest to the ground while preventing his knees from rising by gripping the sides of his underwear. With immense effort, he manages to reverse the hold, flipping her to the ground.  They face off again a few minutes later, and he goes for