JurgenP55205038 at 22:52, 5 February 2026

2026-02-05T22:52:31Z

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{{Short description|Indian wrestler}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ambika Charan Guha
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1843
| birth_place = [[Kolkata]], [[Bengal]], British India
| death_date = 1900
| death_place = Kolkata, Bengal, [[British India]]
| occupation = Wrestler
| parents = Abhay Charan Guha
| spouse =
| children = Khetra Charan Guha
}}

'''Ambika Charan Guha''' ({{langx|bn|অম্বিকাচরণ গুহ}}; 1843–1900), popularly known as '''Ambu babu''' ({{langx|bn|অম্বুবাবু}}) or '''Ambu Guha''' ({{langx|bn|অম্বু গুহ}}), was an Indian [[wrestling|wrestler]] who pioneered the growth of ''[[akhara]]'' culture in [[Bengal]].

== Early life ==
Ambika Charan came from a family of wrestlers. His grandfather, Shiv Charan Guha, patronized [[Pehlwani]] and is credited with popularizing the sport in Bengal. Ambika Charan was born to Abhay Charan Guha in 1843 in Hogolkuria in [[Kolkata]]. The locality is near the Masjidbari Street near [[Hatibagan]].

Ambika Charan suffered a serious injury at the age of eight or nine. At the advice of the doctor he began to continue his studies at home. He also continued his physical exercises and took lessons in [[horse riding]] at home. He was trained in Pehlwani by Kalicharan Chaubey of [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=baTsCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA45|title=Sport, Literature, Society: Cultural Historical Studies|last1=Tadié|first1=Alexis|last2=Mangan|first2=J. A.|last3=Chaudhuri|first3=Supriya|date=2016-04-08|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781134920242|language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==

In 1857, at the age of sixteen, Ambika, founded the first ''akhara'' of Bengal, at the advice of his grandfather.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wrestling.org.in/pro-wrestling/|title=Wrestling History {{!}} Indian Pro Wrestling Base|date=20 March 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref> Ambika then travelled throughout [[British India]] learning different wrestling and [[Powerlifting|weight lifting]] tricks. He engaged in wrestling bouts with contemporary Indian wrestlers and became victorious in many of them. He came to be known as "Ambu babu" or "Raja babu".

His ''akhara'' became a pilgrimage to the budding wrestlers of India. Ambika Charan became a Pehlwani trainer and the budding wrestlers of Bengal used to train under him. [[Swami Vivekananda]] in his early years, learned [[wrestling]] in Ambu babu's ''akhara''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography|last=Rajagopal Chattopadhyaya|year=1999|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EtcoeaQIQdAC|isbn = 8120815866|page=22}}</ref>

Some of his famous students are listed below.
* Khetra Charan Guha or Khetu babu
* [[Jatindra Charan Guho]]
* [[Swami Vivekananda]]
* [[Swami Brahmananda]]
* [[Jatindranath Mukherjee]] or Bagha Jatin
* Phanindra Krishna Gupta

== Legacy ==
His son, [[Khetra Charan Goho]], (popularly known as Khetu babu) also became an accomplished wrestler. Khetu babu's nephew, [[Gobar Goho|Jatindra Charan Goho]], went on to become an accomplished wrestler who became the first [[Asian people|Asian]] to win the World Light Heavyweight Championship in the United States in 1921.

The ''akhara'' culture subsequently flourished in Bengal and the [[Bengali Hindu]] elite were drawn into it. Hundreds of ''akharas'' began to proliferate in the nooks and crannies of Bengal, some of which later became the breeding ground of revolutionary nationalist activities.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Physical culture}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guha, Ambika Charan}}
[[Category:1843 births]]
[[Category:1900 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian wrestlers]]
[[Category:People associated with physical culture]]
[[Category:People from the Bengal Presidency]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from British India]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian sportsmen]]

Ambika Charan Guha - Revision history

JurgenP55205038 at 22:52, 5 February 2026