In 7th century CE, Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzhang provides evidence of pole climbing of the pillar cult which he witnessed at Prayagraj.

Xuanzhang records that Hindu ascetics climbed the top of a pole situated at Prayagraj, clinging onto it with one hand and one foot, and watched the sunset with their heads turned to the right as it set, marking it as a type a solar rite.

[7] The earliest mention of mallakhamba in a literary work is in the 1135 CE Sanskrit classic Manasollasa, written by the Western Chalukya king Someshvara III.

A Rajput painting from 1610 CE shows athletes performing various acrobatics, including pole climbing, while dancing to Raga Desahka.

[8] A Mughal painting from 1670 depicts athletes practicing club swinging, weightlifting, and pole climbing similar to mallakhamba.

During the first half of the 19th century, Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi learned mallakhamba with her childhood friends Nana Saheb and Tantia Tope.

[11] Competitive mallakhamba made its first appearance in 1958 at the National Gymnastics Championships (NGCs) held at the Pahadganj Stadium, Delhi, India.

[12] Bamshankar Joshi and other mallakhamba enthusiasts in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, founded an all-India level organization named the Mallakhamb Federation of India.

Wrestlers mount, dismount, and utilize the pole for various complex calisthenics designed to develop their grip, stamina, and strength in the arms, legs, and upper body.