Google’s doodle is celebrating the 144th birth anniversary of legendary wrestler Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt, popularly known as Rustam-e-Hind and by his ring name “The Great Gama”.
The doodle created by guest artist Vrinda Zaveri not only celebrates Gama Pehlwan’s accomplishments in the ring but also the impact and representation he brought to Indian culture.
Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt was widely considered one of the best wrestlers of all time and earned the name ‘The Great Gama’ after he remained undefeated throughout his international matches.
Born in Jabbowal village of Punjab’s Amritsar district, Gama earned many titles during his career, including the Indian versions of the World Heavyweight Championship (1910) and the World Wrestling Championship (1927).
Gama Pehlwan has been a household name in India for decades, often used while making a remark on a person’s strength. When Gama Pehlwan was 10, his workout routine included 500 lunges and 500 pushups at only 10 years old, according to the Google Doodle blog.
He picked up wrestling after he turned 15 and immediately grabbed headlines in Indian newspapers praising Gama as a national hero and world champion. The wrestling champion, a Kashmiri Muslim himself, is also considered a hero for saving the lives of many Hindus during the partition of India in 1947 which saw the worst communal riots post-independence.
“Gama’s legacy continues to inspire modern day fighters. Even Bruce Lee is a known admirer and incorporates aspects of Gama’s conditioning into his own training routine!” Google Doodle blog said.
In 1888, he competed in a lunge contest in Jodhpur with over 400 wrestlers from around the country and was named the winner by the Maharaja of Jodhpur. His success at the competition gained him fame throughout the royal states of India, after which he was taken into training by the Maharaja of Datia.
Gama earned many titles during his career, notably the Indian versions of the World Heavyweight Championship (1910) and the World Wrestling Championship (1927) where he was bestowed with the title of “Tiger” after the tournament. He was even presented a silver mace by the Prince of Wales during his visit to India to honour the great wrestler.
Gama is also considered a hero for saving the lives of many Hindus during the partition of India in 1947. He shifted to Lahore (Pakistan) in 1947 and stayed here until his death.
