The First Mr. Universe of India, Mahonar Aich, Died At 104

Kolkata: The ‘pocket Hercules’ of the country, Manohar Aich, breathed his last on Sunday afternoon at his Baguihati house. The legendary bodybuilder was 104-years-old. The family said that Aich died due to old age complications and was on liquid diet for the last 15 days. He was survived by two sons and two daughters.

Aich was the first Indian to win the Mr. Universe title, five years after independence, in 1952. With a height of 4 feet 11 inch, Aich was also a three-time Asian games gold medalist. He gave his last performance at the age of 89.

Aich was born in 1912 at a village named Dhamti, now Comilla District in Bangladesh. He joined the Royal Air Force in the pre-independence India in 1942 where he started his pursuit of bodybuilding. Over the years, this passion made him perform in the Mr. Hercules contest in 1952, at the age of 40. EXIN Times sources asserted that Aich also won the World Championship of Spring Pulling by tearing a spring of 275 pounds tension in 1952. He stood third in the Mr. Universe contest in 1955. He did many bodybuilding shows from 1960.

Eminent personalities across the state paid tribute following Aich’s death. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to twitter to pay her tribute: “Saddened at the passing of world famous body-builder Manohar Aich. He made us proud. Rest in Peace.” Former footballer Chuni Goswami also told: “He was an inspiration to everyone, young and old. Death is inevitable but Manohar Aich will be remembered by all, across every sporting discipline.”