Gaya: A 76-year-old wrestler keeps a 150-year tradition alive as a Rs 170 crore tech hub is planned
A 76-year-old wrestler in Bihar's Gaya district continues to train daily to preserve a 150-year-old family tradition of kushti, performing sets with a 50-kilogram mugdar and completing 100 pushups each session. On the economic front, the Central government and Bihar state government have announced plans to launch a Rs 170 crore technology hub for micro, small and medium enterprises in the district.
🪔 Pandit Hira Nath Mehrawar, 76, carries forward 150 years of kushti in Gaya
Pandit Hira Nath Mehrawar, a 76-year-old wrestler from Bihar's Gaya district, continues a demanding daily training routine that includes lifting a 50-kilogram mugdar — the traditional Indian club used in wrestling conditioning — and completing 100 pushups each session. ETV Bharat reported on July 25, 2026 that for Mehrawar, wrestling is far more than athletic competition; it is a family legacy handed down through generations spanning 150 years. Kushti, the indigenous form of Indian wrestling also known as pehlwani, is a physically demanding discipline that demands sustained commitment to conditioning. The fact that Mehrawar maintains this regimen at an age at which most athletes have long retired is remarkable both as a personal story and as a reflection of the deep cultural roots the sport holds in parts of Bihar. Gaya, one of India's oldest and most historically significant cities, has been home to communities that have preserved traditional physical disciplines alongside religious and cultural practices for centuries. Mehrawar's story draws wider attention to forms of indigenous athletic tradition that exist largely outside the mainstream sports economy, sustained instead by families and local communities who treat training as a form of living cultural inheritance. His dedication serves as a reminder that sporting legacy is not solely a matter of trophies but of daily practice across generations. [1]
🏢 Rs 170 crore technology hub for MSMEs set for launch in Gaya
DD India reported on June 14, 2026 that the Central government and the Bihar state government are jointly set to launch a Rs 170 crore technology hub for micro, small and medium enterprises in Gaya. The initiative brings together Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who holds the Ministry for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. The Rs 170 crore investment represents a significant commitment to building industrial infrastructure in a district that has historically been better known for its religious and agricultural economy than for manufacturing or technology. Technology hubs for MSMEs provide small and medium business owners with access to advanced machinery, quality testing facilities and technical support services that individual enterprises typically cannot afford to acquire independently. For Gaya's MSME sector, such a centre could offer meaningful improvements in production quality and export competitiveness. The involvement of both a Union minister and the state chief minister in the foundation stone ceremony signals that the project has been prioritised at the highest levels of both the central and state government. Bihar's MSME sector employs a large portion of the state's workforce, and targeted infrastructure investment in Gaya has the potential to create downstream economic activity across the region, including in supply chain services, logistics and skilled labour markets. [6]
Sources: [1] ETV Bharat · [6] DD India