Subhash Mahajan
Dalhousie (Panchpula): The Deshbhakt Sardar Ajit Singh Memorial Sabha successfully organized the 39th annual Mahadangal wrestling competition at the Panchpula Samadhi site. The grand event, held on Independence Day, featured nearly 140 wrestling bouts conducted in a round‑robin league format. Matches began at 3 PM and concluded late at night around 11 PM.
Highlights of the tournament included:
- Emerging Star Title: Himanshu (Amritsar) defeated Salman (Keekar Gali) to win ₹4,100; runner‑up received ₹3,100.
- Dalhousie Kumar Title: Rafi (Chamba) overcame Vishal (Una) in a close contest, earning ₹6,100; runner‑up received ₹5,100.
- Dalhousie Kesari Title: Abbas (Malerkotla) defeated Saleem (Pathankot), winning ₹8,100; runner‑up received ₹7,100.
- Dangal Shiromani 2026: In the most thrilling bout, Razzak (Chamba) defeated Rajat (Kangra) to claim ₹12,000, a brass gurj, and the Shakti Dhwaj. Runner‑up received ₹10,000.
The event began with a procession and floral tributes at Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Gandhi Chowk, followed by prayers at Maa Bankhandi Temple before the Shakti Dhwaj was brought to the arena. Chief Guest Dr. Sudhir Dhawan, Chairman of Dalhousie Hill Top School, inaugurated the competitions with Independence Day greetings, patriotic songs, and chants of Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai.
This year, the Sabha honored community contributors including Prem Kapoor, Narendra Puri, Satpal Saggi, Shri Karamchand, Ravindra Kumar (Deputy Pradhan, Gram Sabha Jiyunta), and Manjeet Kumar (Deputy Pradhan, Gram Panchayat Balera). Dr. Sudhir Dhawan was also felicitated with a shawl and cap.
At the closing ceremony, Sabha General Secretary Virender Thakur expressed gratitude to the police department, local volunteers, educational institutions, hotel associations, and donors whose support made the event possible. Key organizers including Subhash Chauhan, Ranjit Chauhan, Bhanu Singh Chauhan, Ram Singh Chauhan, Sameer Sharma, Rakesh Kumar, Anil Chauhan, Rakesh Sharma, Ramesh Thakur, and Ajay Kumar were acknowledged for their contributions.
The Mahadangal continues to stand as a proud tradition, blending patriotism, culture, and sportsmanship in Dalhousie for nearly four decades.
