Banathi is a rotating rope technique with a ball of fire on both ends of the rope, transmitted around the Puri in Orissa State.
Banathi is practiced in part of the Paika Akara already introduced in another page, which indicates that this technique is originally derived from the martial arts of warriors.
On the battlefield, it is said that the blazing wheel of Banathi played a role to encourage the whole army on the front line.
I also heard that the same technique played an active role as a practical throwing weapon using chains with weights on both sides to catch the regs of war elephant, horse and infantry, or as a dynamic shield to prevent the rain of arrows, knocking it off by the rotating rope(chain) or stick.
Ordinary middle-aged men show their feats
The word Ba means fire, and Nathi means a stick, therefore 'Fire Stick'. But instead of using a stick, Banathi uses a rope with a weight or a ball of fire at the end of it.
Technically, it is similar to the stick rotating technique very popular throughout the subcontinent but it includes specific techniques by using non-solid ropes, and its difficulty is extremely high.
Currently, the main occasion to demonstrate Banathi is in the Ratha Yatra festival parade of the Jagannath temple. According to the veteran player Mr. Vishnu Datta(above left), the blazing wheels of a rotating rope symbolizes Sudarshan Chakra, sacred throwing discus weapon of Lord Krishna (The chief God of the Jagannath temple).
The actual situation of Banathi is more similar to traditional street art rather than martial arts nowadays. It is taught especially as a physical education exercise for young students these days, but in the social situation where modernization is progressing and remarkable economic development is achieved in India, young people's interest toward Banathi is diminishing, and it faces a danger of extinction.
We hope that the Indian government supports to preserve and promote Banathi, never make it's fire go out forever.
Banathi is practiced in part of the Paika Akara already introduced in another page, which indicates that this technique is originally derived from the martial arts of warriors.
On the battlefield, it is said that the blazing wheel of Banathi played a role to encourage the whole army on the front line.
I also heard that the same technique played an active role as a practical throwing weapon using chains with weights on both sides to catch the regs of war elephant, horse and infantry, or as a dynamic shield to prevent the rain of arrows, knocking it off by the rotating rope(chain) or stick.
Ordinary middle-aged men show their feats
The word Ba means fire, and Nathi means a stick, therefore 'Fire Stick'. But instead of using a stick, Banathi uses a rope with a weight or a ball of fire at the end of it.
Technically, it is similar to the stick rotating technique very popular throughout the subcontinent but it includes specific techniques by using non-solid ropes, and its difficulty is extremely high.
Member of Banathi Association in Puri
Currently, the main occasion to demonstrate Banathi is in the Ratha Yatra festival parade of the Jagannath temple. According to the veteran player Mr. Vishnu Datta(above left), the blazing wheels of a rotating rope symbolizes Sudarshan Chakra, sacred throwing discus weapon of Lord Krishna (The chief God of the Jagannath temple).
The actual situation of Banathi is more similar to traditional street art rather than martial arts nowadays. It is taught especially as a physical education exercise for young students these days, but in the social situation where modernization is progressing and remarkable economic development is achieved in India, young people's interest toward Banathi is diminishing, and it faces a danger of extinction.
We hope that the Indian government supports to preserve and promote Banathi, never make it's fire go out forever.
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