Manohar Aich, The Father of Indian Body Building

If people today take the name of Manohar Aich, well it will not really register with the current generation. But for those who are bodybuilding buffs and fans of the art, it will certainly ring a bell. So who is this man? Well, to the uninformed, he was our first Mr. Universe and more. Manohar was a fitness freak in every sense of the term. Perhaps that is why lived to be 104 before his death in 2016.

The interest in strength related sports is something that Manohar was interested since he was a boy. His path was already set at an early age. He was drawn towards wrestling and weightlifting. When he was 12, his health was affected by black fever, but he recovered simply by doing physical fitness exercises. That was where the journey really began.

Back then he only did bodyweight/calisthenics exercises with up to 100 reps per set. He performed in magic shows with the legendary PC Sorkar and did stuff like bending steel with his teeth, bending spears with his neck and resting his belly on swords. In 1942, he joined the Royal Air Force and that was where bodybuilding and Manohar came face to face. He was put in prison because he slapped a British officer and while incarcerated he started weight training and spent hours in physical exercises. The jail authorities were impressed with his dedication and prepared a special diet for him.

In 1950 he won the Mr. Hercules contest. In 1951 he came second in the Mr. Universe competition but a year later he finally took first position. He was the first Indian to achieve the feat.

One must remember Manohar was not very tall. In fact he was four feet 11 inches. What he lacked in height he made up with his physical prowess. That’s why he was called Pocket Hercules. He kept fit and even provided tips in his later years on how to stay in shape with proper exercises and a strict diet. That is why he was able to live for as long as he did. Even in his last years, he was fit as a fiddle.

Manohar is considered the Father of Indian Bodybuilding. One cannot contest this fact as he put Indian bodybuilding on the map post independence. His success on the world stage was an inspiration for others to follow and now we have several winning international events and doing the country proud. Manohar was the first drop in what created the ocean.

Source: India Times

Image Courtesy: Amar Ujala