The Wrestlers of India

Pehlwani, modern Indian wrestling, is a synthesis of an indigenous form of wrestling that dates back at least to the 5th century BC and a Persian form of wrestling brought into the Indian Subcontinent by the Mughals. Practitioners of the sport attend training in the early morning and adhere to a regimen that is much like a religion. The ashaka or wrestling arena is also a shrine to a god and features a 20x20 foot sand wretling pit that is groomed daily by the wrestlers.

Sandra Chen Weinstein is a photographer, ceramist, and independent curator. Born in Taiwan, she has worked and lived in DC, Japan, China for American agency, and traveled for photo assignments to many countries. Early in her photo career in 2009, she was chosen as the only American photographer among hundreds of applicants for Magnum Masterclasses in The Netherlands and in London, England.