Pig Sticking in the Ganga Khadar

[prashantsingh]

Amongst all the animals in the Indian jungle the ones which are undoubtedly the most impressive are the three "T" s . The Tiger, The Tusker (a big male Asian elephant) and the smaller tusker (a big male wild boar). Anyone who has visited the Indian jungle will surely have some respect for these powerful , fearless and at times unpredictable animals.
One of the legacies of the British Raj was a "game" called "Pig Sticking". Even after India gained Independence , the game flourished amongst the royalties and the Cavalry regiments of the Indian Army ;till it was finally banned in the late 1980's. I,as a teenager had the rare privilage to attend the "game".
The game involved men on horseback armed with spears running down wild boar in the endless "sarkanda" (elephant grass) grasslands of the Ganga Khadar.
The game was played in other states as well , but in no other state was it as popular as in the United Provinces of Awadh and Agra (later Uttar Pradesh).
The basic rules of the game was to ride into the grassland and try to spear a wild pig. The person who drew first blood (in case one pig was killed) , or the one who speared the heaviest boar (in case more than one boars were killed) was declared the winner.
Sounds easy ......but believe me guys , this was the most difficult way to hunt the Indian Wild Boar. An animal known for it's fearless nature. Not an easy prey at all and not one to go down without a fight. There were times when men and mount were killed or badly injured facing the charge of an injured boar.
Like all the other games. This game had it's rules. The hunt usually began with the rising sun and ended by noon (after which the Sun was too hot for comfort ). The "Pig Sticker" made it a point to spare the "mother and her squeeker bacchaas" and persued the biggest amongst the males , in order to win . In case two riders were persuing the same pig , the rider on the left of the animal had the "right of way" , while the one on the wrong side had to wait for the animal to either run across to his side or maneuver his horse accordingly. Needless to say these rules were made for the safety of the horsemen, so that they did not land up spearing each other or their horses.
The rationale behind the "blood" sport was to train the soldiers and the men (in peace time) to the sight of blood , injury and death so that in times of war they were not adversely affected by them. (The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war).
I can still recall the beautiful panoramic view of the sun rising over the grasslands and the horsemen on their horses galloping away into the horizon with the soft fine sand rising like a desert storm behind them. With reins in one hand and the spear in the other , eyes fixed on the bush below, they were a determined and a focused lot.
One had to have sharp senses, a steady hand , a lion's heart , a cool head and above all ,had to be a fantastic horseman to take part in the event. The Ganga Khadar criss crossed with narrow (but deep) revines were often traps for the galloping horses. Though some managed to jump over , many fell into them which resulted in serious injuries. I have met people who broke many a bones and yet once recovered , were back on the saddle; ready for the next season.
The only game which came anywhere close to "Pig Sticking" was "Fox hunting". I believe Fox hunting has also been banned (recently) in the U.K. But I would surely consider the former more challenging simply because the animal being persued was the fearsome wild boar and not a scared little fox , hounded by a pack of dogs.

P.S.
Will try and put up some old snaps. Much of the Ganga Khadar is now used for farming. It's rich alluvial soil and constant water supply makes it ideal for cultivation. The wild boar has suffered subsequently.
Not because of the "Hog Hunters on horseback" of yesteryears..........but because of the poor farmers encroaching on their habitat.

[mundaire]

Very interesting post Prashant, and I look forward to the pictures. May I add though that I hear that wild boar numbers are currently seeing a revival like never before, they are now not only being spotted, but becoming a menace in areas where they never ever ranged in recent history... but I digress!

I recall talking to a member here (from Rajasthan) who during the course of our conversation told me that his grandfather held those in scorn who went after a boar with a rifle. In the opinion of the senior gent, no "sporting" man would use a rifle for hunting wild boar but in stead should ride them down with spear/ lance in hand.... interesting times those!

Cheers!
Abhijeet

[nagarifle]

read pig sticking by BP the founder of the boy scout movement. makes a very good read.

these days the lance and horse are still used as in tent pegging comps. one was hold in Noida last week, an international event. worth see one.

-- Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:36 --

http://www.pinetreeweb.com/bp-pigsticking.htm

i have few friends in the UK who would love to stick a wild pig, old fashion way

[shooter]

pig sticking in addition to all the qualities you mention also require split second timing. unlike a tent peg which comes out uprooted, a pig shoulder doesnt.
the momentum of the horse and rider brought to sudden stop by the pigs body can snap a wrist in two.

i would like to point out that though modern concept of hunting was intrduced by the british, the old hunting in india was with the help of cheetahs/falcons etc.
but using the spear for the hog or "pig sticking" is actually an indian form of shikar and the first day of the season was dashmi.in fact the british adopted this shikar from india.

it was popular in rajputana even in the mediveal times.

[Yaj]

the old hunting in india was with the help of cheetahs/falcons etc.

And even before that it was with dogs and spears

[shooter]

the old hunting in india was with the help of cheetahs/falcons etc.

And even before that it was with dogs and spears

of course absolutely not just in india but in most civilisations the world over. i was just pointing out the changes in hunting pattern the mughal-persian influence brought to india.

[marksman]

The famous pig sticking plateaus around Indore where the Holkars enjoyed this sport along with their sporting friends and other dignitaries, has turned into ugly cement structures of factories and residenial colonies today. I visited Indore after a decade and half and saw this harrowing change with moist eyes.. All that reminds of this royal sport are a few scattered stone platforms, locally known as "Odhi" that were used to mount the horses, and a lonely looking Shikargah or a hunting Lodge of the ex rulers on top of the hillock in the back ground.
marksman

[Yaj]

of course absolutely not just in india but in most civilisations the world over. i was just pointing out the changes in hunting pattern the mughal-persian influence brought to india.

I agree shooter, I just could not resist mentioning the dogs Actually this method is still followed unchanged long after the cheetahs have disappeared.
Regards,
Yaj.

[kanwar76]

The famous pig sticking plateaus around Indore where the Holkars enjoyed this sport along with their sporting friends and other dignitaries, has turned into ugly cement structures of factories and residenial colonies today. I visited Indore after a decade and half and saw this harrowing change with moist eyes.. All that reminds of this royal sport are a few scattered stone platforms, locally known as "Odhi" that were used to mount the horses, and a lonely looking Shikargah or a hunting Lodge of the ex rulers on top of the hillock in the back ground.
marksman

We've lost a major part of our culture with this hunting ban.

Hunting dogs, jungle craft, horses. I am feeling very sad right now sitting in my AC office tapping away on laptop, I would've been more happy sweating it out in jungle sticking some of them pigs.

May be all this advancement talk is not really "advance "after all

-Inder

[shooter]

May be all this advancement talk is not really "advance "after all

"Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."

old indian (native american ) saying.


had written a long post but somehow the system crashed and lost it so just writing the gist of it.

[prashantsingh]

I was waiting for your comments Dear Shooters.
Legand has it that Rana Pratap met his lady love (and later wife) on one of his Pig sticking trips in the jungles of Mewar. Some of the famous Hog hunters in the last century have also been from the state.
The game (like Manipuri Polo) is truly an Indian Sport . It was picked up,marketed and internationalized by the British. (The game is still played in Spain.)

I agree with you Kanwar when you say
"Hunting dogs, jungle craft, horses. I am feeling very sad right now sitting in my AC office tapping away on laptop, I would've been more happy sweating it out in jungle sticking some of them pigs. "

Like they say "A Bad day at hunting is still better than a good day at work".

[nagarifle]

A BRUTAL SPORT

You who sit at home will naturally condemn it. But again I say, like the drunkard to the parson, try it before you judge.

See how the horse enjoys it, see how the boar himself, mad with rage, rushes wholeheartedly into the scrap, see how you, with your temper thoroughly roused, enjoy the opportunity of wreaking it to the full

Yes, hog-hunting is a brutal sport--and yet I loved it, as I loved also the fine old fellow I fought against. I cannot pretend that I am not inconsistent. But are many of us entirely consistent ? Do what we will and say what we like, although we have a veneer of civilisation, the primitive man's instincts are still not far below the surface. Murder will out. Did we not see it in all its horridness in the War ?

But apparently the Churches recognised the fact; at any rate one does not remember that they made any attempt to stop us killing our fellow-men, our fellow-Christians.

Until we get our education upon a more spiritual foundation instead of being content with mere academical scholarship, more of character training than standard of knowledge, we shell only have the veneer.

BP

[kanwar76]

Here are Awesome pics from Prashant Singh

The Ganga Khadar grassland




The hog hunters riding out of their camp in the early hours of the day



Lining up before charging into the Horizon.jpg



Let the game begin



First Kill Of The Day\



An Old Family Trophy - Winner1962



Many thanks to Prashant for sharing these truly awesome pics with us.

-Inder

[prashantsingh]

Thanks Kanwar for putting up the snaps. I didn't want to trouble my dear friend Shooters this time.
I am sorry for the poor picture quality. I was barely a teenager when these snaps were taken. Photography, those days was very different from what it is today.
There are a few points I want to point out , since the snaps have now been put up. I shall discuss them subsequently.
Do you see those beautiful old trees at the camp. The Ganga Khadar is devoid of all trees. Can anyone guess the reason.
The camp was on one side of the river while the Khadar was on the other side. You won't find a single tree in the Khadar because with the annual monsoons , the powerful flow of the Ganga would wash away all germinating bush/trees. The only thing which would survive the Ganga's monsoon onslaught was the Sarkanda grass.
I missed taking snaps of these horsemen crossing the river to enter the Khadar. But the memory is as fresh today as it were more than two and a half decades ago. (Somewhat like the wilderbeast crossing the river in Masai Mara). Just Spectacular.
By making Dams on the Ganga (Tehri Dam being the largest) , the flow of the Ganga has been put to check.The Khadar has thereby shrunk and subsequently encroached upon.
The Khadar was a heaven for Wild boar,Blackbuck,Neelgai,Chinkara,Swamp deer,Hog deer, hare,teetar (partridge) ,batair(quail) and many other birds and animals.
It was also home for the Gharial .

-- Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:28 am --

Where were the predators?
In the Ganga Khadar there were few. So wildlife (mentioned above) flourished.
Probably because of the great water barrier (Ganga) which seperated these animals from the carnivores.
After saying so, I would also like to mention one recorded incident when some rookie Hog hunters looking for pigs in the bush ; chanced upon a leopard. Yes a LEOPARD.
What happened next. The horses with their riders ran in one direction.....and the leopard in the other.
When the initial chaos was over the vetrans grouped together and decided to go for the leopard. By the time they reached the spot the leopard had quietly slipped away.

-- Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:34 am --

Had they got the Leopard ...................would we call it Leopard sticking????????

[nagarifle]

many years ago around 2000/2001 while at the horse show in Aldershot met with the last man to win the Kadir Cup,



the cup now sits in the Calvary club London,

this also makes a good read:
http://www.piersallison.co.uk/biogs/c_r ... ranite.htm

-- Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:16 --

these are not from Ganga Khadar, so please do not mind.