Clad in body-hugging lowers and sporty tees, Nandini Sarkar and Aastha Verma collect a fistful of mud at the Tulsidas akhara on the Ganga banks here, rub it on their foreheads and let out a fullthroated cry of "Jai Shri Ram".

That chant has just shattered a 450-year-old glass ceiling at this medieval wrestling ring.

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In a major break from tradition, the akhara that's managed by the Sankat Mochan temple trust has permitted girls to practise and wrestle at its hallowed mud pit, dedicated to the bachelor god, Hanuman.

It took the two feisty 20-yearold girls, who are still pursuing their bachelor courses, almost a decade to convince the trust's mahant to be allowed to practice and spar at the akhara. Aptly, their freedom to enter the mud pit came on August 15 this year, which coincided with the Nagpanchami festival.

The akhara will now hold fights featuring women from Diwali. "The training of tradi tional wrestlers remains incomplete till they touch the mud of an akhara. We have finally achieved that dream," says Nandini. "Our coaches, Surendra Yadav and Gorakhnath Yadav, approached the mahant this year and convinced him that if the country can have a Prime Minister representing Varanasi for the first time, why can't women achieve a first of their own?" she said. Of course, getting the permission was far from easy. "We were shown texts on Hanuman's vow of bachelorhood and told that girls are impure and their presence is a sin for the god. But it's the same god who gave us the strength to fight," Nandini reasoned.

The mahant of Sankant Mochan, Vishwambar Nath Mishra, too, believes the decision will go long way to empower women here. "People are surprised when they learn that I am a professor at IIT as well as the mahant of this temple. I believe I can contribute to society in both ways. So why not take a decision that's in keeping with gender equality and restores the faith of people in the divine?" said mahant Mishra, who teaches electronics at IIT BHU.

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Both girls have represented UP in wrestling. Even as they try out traditional practice equipment at the akhara, such as bhala and gadha, for the first time, the girls have already mastered their favourite manoeuvres by watching the men here for the past 10 years. For Nandini, its dhobi paat (shoulder throw) while Aastha swears by kalajang (squat punch).

The girls come from humble backgrounds. Nandini's father sells sweets to pilgrims at Assi Ghat, earning around Rs 7,000 a month. Aastha's father is no more. Her mother Madhu Verma sells flowers on the stairs of Kedar Ghat to support her daughter's wrestling dreams.

"We derive our strength and determination from our parents who keep the faith of devotees alive by providing them accessories to complete their pooja. That's why God was kind to us," says Aastha.

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However, the girls' struggles are far from over. With their modest means, it's getting increasingly difficult for to afford a protein rich diet and top-notch training to progress in the sport. To support their needs, the girls frequently travel as far as Patna, Madehpura and Begusarai in Bihar for dangal contests.Each match earns them Rs 2,500.

"Ghee, milk, almonds, protein and personal gym costs us Rs 15,000 a month. Sometimes we can afford it. When we can't, we just hop on to a night train and reach Bihar. It takes one day to reach the venue, two days to play and another day to return to Varanasi," says Aastha. Being women wrestlers in a patriarchal society is tough. The girls have many horror stories on their wrestling visits to Bihar. "There are times when men would try to pat us just to feel us. We usually answer such touches with a punch and tackle," said Nandini, laughing.