Mardani khel its founding - "Bol Sri Chhatrapati Shivaji-Maharaja ki jai" (Cry victory to Emperor Shivaji), a tribute to the founder of the Maratha Empire. Mardani khel Mardani khel is a weapon-based Indian martial art from Maharashtra. It is particularly known for its use of the uniquely Indian patta (sword) and "vita" (corded lance). The early history of mardani khel as a distinct system is difficult to trace prior to the 1600s, but it is said to owe its development to the particular geographic conditions of Maharashtra. A hilly region characterized by valleys and caves, the inhabitants became expert horsemen who favoured
Indian martial arts in Karnataka. Traditional malla-yuddha is virtually extinct in the north where it has been supplanted by kusti, but another form called malakhra still exists in parts of India and Sindh, Pakistan. Vajra-musti was another old grappling art in which the competitors wrestled while wearing a horned knuckleduster. In a later style called "naki ka kusti" (claw wrestling), the duellists fought with bagh nakha. Numerous styles of folk wrestling are also found in India's countryside, such as mukna from [[Manipur],[[Inbuan wrestling]] from [[Mizoram]] and Khomlainai among the Bodos. Boxing ([[musti-yuddha]]) is traditionally considered the roughest form of Indian unarmed combat. In