Thegada(Sanskrit:गदाgadā,Kannada:ಗದೆ,Telugu:గద,Tamil:கதை,Malay:gedak,Old Tagalog:batuta) is a mallet or bluntmacefrom theIndian subcontinent.Made either of wood or metal, it consists essentially of a spherical head mounted on a shaft, with a spike on the top. Outside India, the gada was also adopted inSoutheast Asia,where it is still used insilat.The weapon might haveIndo-Iranianorigins, asOld Persianalso uses the wordgadāto mean club; see for example the etymology ofPasargadae.
| Gada | |
|---|---|
 An example of a 17th centuryIndo-Persiangada, made from steel and gold, 26.5 inches (67 cm) long.Metropolitan Museum of Art | |
| Type | Club/Mace |
| Place of origin | Indian subcontinent |
| Specifications | |
The gada is the main weapon of the Hindu GodHanuman.Known for his strength, Hanuman is traditionally worshipped by wrestlers in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.Vishnualso carries a gada namedKaumodakiin one of his four hands.[1]In the epicMahabharata,the fightersBalarama,Duryodhana,Bhima,Karna,Shalya,Jarasandhaand others were said to be masters of the gada.[2]
Gada-yuddha
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Themartial artof wielding the gada is known asgada-yuddha.It can either be wielded singly or in pairs, and can be handled in twenty different ways. Various gada-yuddha techniques are mentioned in theAgni PuranaandMahabharatasuch asaahat(आहत),prabrita(प्रभृत),kamalasan(कमलासन),oordhvargatra(ऊर्ध्वगत्र),namita(नमित),vaamadakshina(वामदक्षिण),aavritta(आवृत्त),paraavritta(परावृत्त),padoddhrita(पदोद्धृत),avaplata(अवप्लत),hansmaarga(हंसमार्ग) andvibhaag(विभाग).
Exercise equipment
editThe gada is one of the traditional pieces of training equipment in Hindu physical culture, and is common in theakharaof north India. Maces of various weights and heights are used depending on the strength and skill level of the practitioner. It is believed that Lord Hanuman's gada was the largest amongst all the gadas in the world. For training purposes, one or two wooden gada (mudgar) are swung behind the back in several different ways and is particularly useful for building grip strength and shoulder endurance.The Great Gamawas known for extensive use of gada. Winners in akushticontest are often awarded with a gada.[citation needed]
Chi'ishi,akarateconditioning equipment and its exercise pattern was inspired by thegadaandmudgar.[citation needed]The war mallets were also inspired by gada.[3]
Outside the Indian subcontinent
editGada has also been adopted by practitioners ofsilat martial artsin theMalay world.In Indonesia the word "gada" has broadened to refer to any impact weapons that are not a simple club, likemace,morning star,andflail.However, several ethnic groups of Indonesia have their own version of gada. Traditional Indonesian gada generally shaped more like Persianmeelclub than Indian gada. This is because the iron used to make gada in pre-modern Indonesia, calledbesi khurasani,was imported fromKhorasan.Local gada is often coated in an alloy calledbesi kuning,which is believed to possess magical power.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Gada, The Mace of Vishnu. Some refer to me by the name" Kaumodaki "".Archived fromthe originalon 2022-10-27.Retrieved2021-05-17.
- ^Lochtefeld, James G. (2002).The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M.Rosen. p. 231.ISBN978-0-8239-3179-8.
- ^Club History
- ^Wiyono, Al Sugeng (2001).Tosan aji: jimat ngucap, pusaka kandha: refleksi jati diri(in Indonesian). BP Kedaulatan Rakyat.