Hari Narayan Singh

Mahamalla Hari Narayan Rai (1864 – 4 June 1949) is the ring-name of Indian wrestler Hari Narayan Rai.

Early life He was born in a family of Kinwar Bhumihars in Kundesar village in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh family . His father Babu Krinamohan Rai was very fond of wrestling and he nurtured his son with great care. Though he didn't allow his son to participate in any tournaments or competitions but his rising fame of unimaginable regimen of exercises drew attention of renowned wrestlers of his time. The great Gama pehlwan was his contemporary. In those days he was a court wrestler of Datia Princely State. When he learned about Babu Harinarayan Rai encounter with a lion, he came to challenge him in akhara. However he couldn’t gather any courage when he saw his 95 kg exercising naal.

Tough training Mall Babu used to do five thousands squats and five thousands push-ups. Though it seems unimaginable but sports journalist Marcus Trower has mentioned it in his well researched book, "The most I heard anyone talk about a wrestler having done was 10,000 of each a day. This was Hari Narayan Rai, the wrestler who killed a lion in the 1880s whose story I tell."

Death and legacy Mall Babu was such a disciplined person that he didn't fell ill in his lifetime. Till the age of 84 years his physique was in greater shape. However, in the age of 85 he got a premonition of his death and according to his wish he was shifted to holy city of Varanasi, where he died on 4 June 1949. Mall Babu had few disciples who carried forward his legacy. Rajnarayan Rai was his most favorite, who floored Imam Bakhs Pahalwan (younger brother of The Great Gama) in Jhariya (Jharkhand) within 5 minutes of bouts. Gama was so shocked with this defeat that he started crying.