'Mallakhamb' is the state sport of:

Mallakhamb was declared the state sport of Madhya Pradesh in 2013.

About Mallakhamb:

It is a traditional Indian sport in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga postures, wrestling grips and acrobatic feats on a vertical wooden pole or a hanging rope.

The name comes from "malla" (wrestler or gymnast) and "khamb" (pole). It was originally used by wrestlers as a training aid to improve their strength, speed, reflexes and grip.

Types of Mallakhamb:

• Pole Mallakhamb: performed on a vertical wooden pole, usually made of sheesham (Indian rosewood), about 2.6 metres high, fixed in the ground and smeared with castor oil.
• Rope Mallakhamb: performed on a hanging cotton rope; it is mostly practised by girls.
• Hanging Mallakhamb: performed on a shorter pole hanging from hooks.

History:

• References to a pole exercise are found in the 12th-century text "Manasollasa", written by the Chalukya king Someshvara III.
• The modern form of Mallakhamb was revived in the early 19th century by Balambhatdada Deodhar, a fitness trainer of the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao II.
• It was demonstrated at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by an Indian team.

Recognition:

• The first national championship was held in 1962 at Gwalior.
• Ujjain, in Madhya Pradesh, is regarded as a major centre of Mallakhamb.
• The first Mallakhamb World Championship was held in Mumbai in 2019.
• It is included in the Khelo India Youth Games and was included in the National Games in 2023.
• The Mallakhamb Federation of India is its national body.

Other traditional Indian sports and martial arts:

• Kalaripayattu: Kerala.
• Gatka: Punjab (Sikh martial art).
• Thang-Ta: Manipur.
• Silambam: Tamil Nadu (staff fighting).
• Kabaddi and Kho-Kho: popular across India.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Maharashtra is the birthplace of modern Mallakhamb, but Madhya Pradesh declared it the state sport.
• ✗Punjab is associated with Gatka and Kabaddi.
• ✗Kerala is associated with Kalaripayattu and Vallam Kali.