At Guru Hanuman Akhada in Delhi, wrestlers continue to train on soil, keeping alive a tradition that is slowly disappearing as the sport moves towards mats.

I wanted to photograph this practice before it disappears, but also to understand the people who are working to preserve it. What keeps them returning to the soil? What does this way of wrestling mean to them?

The series moves between training, portraits and close details of the body: soil clinging to skin, cauliflower ears shaped by repeated contact, and moments of rest between bouts. These images look beyond physical strength to the discipline, care and devotion that sustain this traditional sport.

Here, soil is more than a surface to wrestle on. It is prepared and cared for, then carried on the body like a second skin. I was drawn to this relationship between the wrestlers and the earth, and to the daily commitment through which a tradition continues.

The Wrestlers Who Stayed records a practice at risk of being lost and the people who keep choosing it. Through these photographs, I want to share their attachment to the soil, their devotion to wrestling and the quiet work of keeping something alive.

By Monica Dhaka