Košti Gila-Mardi (“Gilāni Wrestling”)

Košti Gila-Mardi (“Gilāni wrestling”) has been organized in Gilan province, which has housed different ethnic groups from the past to the present. It dates back to the fourth century AH. From the past until now, in Gilan province, after the rice harvest, a festive ceremony was held, in which košti Gila-Mardi, lafen-bāzi (tug of war), varzā jang, etc. were held to relieve people’s tiredness. In the meantime, košti Gila-Mardi was very popular. košti Gila-Mardi was formerly called "Moshti Koshti". Moshti Koshti means wrestling with punches. Gila-Mardi wrestling has traditionally been held weekly on the outskirts of Gilan markets. Gilan Youth Week Wrestling has been an exercise in preparing for the annual Gila-Mardi Wrestling Tournament. The wrestling match is held in two different styles: the "hitting" style, in which a punch to the opponent's head and body is allowed, and the wrestlers can hit the opponent's face with the back of their hand.  But things like grabbing are not allowed. Sometimes the severity of the blows can cause injuries such as a broken nose, teeth, facial bones, jaw, torn eyebrows or even anesthesia.  But in the non-striking method, the wrestlers only wrestle and perform the techniques. košti Gila-Mardi is a traditional competition that has been held in many areas of Gilan and the western parts of Mazandaran from the past until now. Another name for košti Gila-Mardi is "Razm Gilma". This sport was registered in the list of Spiritual Heritages of Iran in 2011. 

košti Gila-Mardi is a combination of freestyle wrestling, Catch Wrestling, judo and boxing, but its rules are very special. Wrestlers often enter the arena in groups and wear a cloth named Laaspareh. The interesting thing is that as a prize, the winners are allowed to go to the spectators who can voluntarily pay a sum to the winner. In addition, a portion of the ticket sales proceeds will be awarded to the winners.  In recent years, special attention has been paid to this traditional sport of Gilan and heavy competitions have been held in different villages of Gilan and western Mazandaran, and this sport has been well received. Košti Gila-Mardi can be considered as a part of the identity of the people of Gilan and western Mazandaran, and since it is held very simply and away from today's formalities, it has attracted the interest of many people.  So, if you travel to Gilan or the west of Mazandaran, be sure to watch Košti Gila-Mardi ceremony in one of its villages and enjoy seeing this breathtaking competition. 

The wrestling of Gila-Mardi does not have a specific time and is held along with rituals Eid and celebrations. Therefore, to see this native sport, you do not need to consider a specific time and you can enjoy it, in four seasons of the year, in different parts of Gilan and western Mazandaran. "El Kavo" and " Morḡāna Jang (“egg war”) " are two other local games that have been registered in the list of National Heritages of Iran, and you can also visit these traditional games by traveling to Gilan.

Rudsar, Tonekabon, Fooman and other cities of Gilan and the west of Mazandaran province are the places to hold this local wrestling. If you choose air travel to reach different cities of Gilan, you can use Sardar Jangal Rasht Airport.  There are flights from Tehran, Kish, Ahvaz, Sari, Bandar Abbas, Shiraz, Assaluyeh and Mashhad to Rasht Airport. Train is another way to reach Gilan.  Private car and bus are two other means that will take you to Gilan and Mazandaran.