Mallakhamb (Mal-Khamb in Marathi) is an Indian system of exercise for wrestlers. It is of recent origin and there is no major reference to it in ancient literature. Mallakhamb was invented by one Balambhat-dada Deodhar, a resident of Konkan, Goa. Balambhat-dada Deodhar was born in a poor Brahmin family in 1780. He came to Pune with his parents, who migrated in search of sustenance. Since his childhood he was deeply interested in doing physical exercises and became a good wrestler in his late teens. According to a story, Balambhat Deodhar used to practice meditation and once when he was meditating before the Saptasringi temple at Vani near Nasik, he had darshan of Hanuman. Hanuman was pleased with his devotion and taught him the mallakhamb exercises for which the iron pillar in the courtyard of the Devi temple was used. He was ecstatic by the gift from his favorite Bhagavan. He then started practicing the mallakhamb for which he observed that a wooden pillar would be more convenie