CreditIan Thomas Jansen-Lonnquist for The New York Times
The Indian state of Manipur, the birthplace of modern polo, is home to the oldest active polo ground, Mapal Kangjeibung. Here, the “game of kings” is the province of the common man: Masons, laborers, government employees and police officers populate the roughly 20 active polo clubs in Imphal, the capital.
Last year was the 150th anniversary of the first official polo tournament played in its modern form. Before British influence, sagol kangjei, as polo was originally called here, was played with seven players per team. The mallets were made of cane, and the ball was made from bamboo root.