February 3, 2012

Every year on the first weekend in February, the small town of Kila Raipur in Punjab is turned upside down for three days with the annual Kila Raipur Sports Festival – popularly known as Rural Olympics. The festival has existed for over six decades, and meanwhile is drawing competitors from around the globe. The festival sees more than 4,000 participants and is watched by around 1 million spectators each year.

In 1933 Kila Raipur Sports Festival was founded as a recreational meet for regional farmers, to come together and test their endurance in the games.

Competitions are held for major Punjabi sports, like cart racing and tug-o-war. It does get quirkier though: Main draw for most foreign visitors is the chance to see people lifting bicycles or pulling cars with their teeth or ears and other stunts, as well as acrobatics. In the evenings, cultural feasts with music and dance until well past midnight are a fantastic show.

What is the weirdest sports discipline you’ve ever heard of?