The Lost Tradition of Centuries-Old Indian Games

Remember the times when we used to get back from school and couldn’t wait to venture out for playing Kith-Kith or Pithoo with our friends? Or simply wait for the holidays, Sundays and Diwali to have some fun sessions of rummy and card games with family, friends, and relatives? The thrill of playing games with friends, fighting over petty things, that one friend who knows everything about the game, that feeling when your team is on the verge of losing the game and you pull off a masterstroke earning the ‘Hero’ tag and winning the hearts of everyone. 

Those were the times when technology had not taken over and long summer days were spent playing games like Ludo, Bluff, Rummy, Chaupad and Snakes & Ladders while the evenings had sessions of Gilli-danda, Pithoo, Kho-Kho, Poshampa, and Chain. When one discusses the history of Indian sports, traditional Indian games have always been an integral part of the rich Indian culture. With the invention of gadgets and video games, we seem to have lost the tradition of playing centuries-old Indian games. While little is known about the origin of these much-loved traditional games, there are various shreds of evidence of these games in our history and mythology. Here’s a list of a few centuries-old traditional Indian games which make  the Indian heritage:

Also known as Paplu, rummy and other card games were once enjoyed by the royals and the nobility in the Mughal era. Ganjifa also referred to as Dashavata was introduced by the Mughals as they were very fond of playing card games. The rummy gameswe play today were not the same centuries ago. Indian rummy has travelled from one generation to another, from one country to another each coming-up with their own versions of rummy. Each region added its own essence and that’s how we now have so many rummy variants. However, with technology penetrating our lives, there is a shift in playing rummy offline to online. And it is gaining significance with various portals offering and promoting online rummy games which are easily accessible and simple to play. Adda52Rummy is one of the most popular online gaming portals in the online rummy gaming industry offering interesting rummy game variants with exciting offers and tournaments. 

Though there are many traditional games for which some documentation and historical references are available, there are many that have lost their significance due to the lack of proper records. Chaupad/Pachisi is one such game incredibly popular in ancient India. A board game made out of a cloth or jute, its mural can be found in the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra.  

The Mughal emperors of India like Akbar also liked to play Chaupad. It was also a prevalent sport in the Rajputana. Later in the 19th century, Chaupad lost its prominence with the advent of different variants of the game in England and a similar game Ludo was introduced which gained more popularity. Today Ludo is much-loved by kids and is also available to play online.

The hopping game also called Hopscotch is very popular among the younger generation all over the world. In Tamil Nadu, it is known by the name of Nondi. Kith-Kith involves drawing a grid on the ground with numbers. Chalks or paint are used to draw the grid. Players take turns and throw a rock or stone onto the numbered block. They have to hop on one leg taking care not to step on the lines to pick up the stone and return back to the point where they started. It is a fun outdoor game played in groups. However, due to the rise in popularity of video games and PS4s, it is slowly losing its charm among kids. Also due to space issues, outdoor games have hit the skids. 

Pithoo, Satoliya or Lagori is basically a game of seven stones. It is an exciting game very popular in North India. It encourages team building and enhances coordination. However once very popular among both the younger and older generation, Pithoo is now losing its importance due to space constraints and time restrictions. With the increase in academic pressure, children are now encouraged to participate in sports like cricket, basketball, and football for which they are sent for sports lessons and hence do not get the time to play the traditional outdoor games. However, kids in villages still continue the tradition of playing Pithoo.

It is a game of Indian origin which is very similar to cricket or baseball. In fact, some historians say that cricket and baseball have their origins in Gilli Danda which was played in the villages of India since ancient times. It involves two sticks, one is Gilli which measures around 3 inches and Danda is about two feet in length. Danda is hit on the Gilli which flips into the air and is then hit as hard as possible. After that, the player has to run and reach an agreed point on the circle. Gilli Danda is said to have originated 2,500 years ago in the Indian subcontinent. It is known by different names across the country such as Danggoli in West Bengal, Viti-Dandu in Maharashtra and Gootibilla in Andhra Pradesh. However, Gilli Danda has now become completely non-existent in cities.

Every game is about celebrating the innocence of childhood and creating cherished memories. However, these days kids do not even know the names of these games which were once an integral part of Indian heritage. The traditional Indian games have lost their worth and are on the verge of extinction. If only online gaming could revive a few of these board games and get the millennials hooked on to it.