Ambika Charan Guha

In 1857, at the age of sixteen, Ambika, founded the first akhara of Bengal, at the advice of his grandfather.^[2] Ambika then travelled throughout British India learning different wrestling and weight lifting tricks. He engaged in wrestling bouts with contemporary Indian wrestlers and became victorious in many of them. He came to be known as "Ambu babu" or "Raja babu".

His akhara became a pilgrimage to the budding wrestlers of India. Ambika Charan became a Pehlwani trainer and the budding wrestlers of Bengal used to train under him. Swami Vivekananda in his early years, learned wrestling in Ambu babu's akhara.^[3]

Some of his famous students are listed below.

• Khetra Charan Guha or Khetu babu
• Jatindra Charan Guho
• Swami Vivekananda
• Swami Brahmananda
• Jatindranath Mukherjee or Bagha Jatin
• Phanindra Krishna Gupta

His son, Khetra Charan Goho, (popularly known as Khetu babu) also became an accomplished wrestler. Khetu babu's nephew, Jatindra Charan Goho, went on to become an accomplished wrestler who became the first Asian to win the World Light Heavyweight Championship in the United States in 1921.

The akhara culture subsequently flourished in Bengal and the Bengali Hindu elite were drawn into it. Hundreds of akharas began to proliferate in the nooks and crannies of Bengal, some of which later became the breeding ground of revolutionary nationalist activities.