Cloth, Wood, Seeds & Shells
Can you think of any activity which checks all of the following:
● Keeps children & adults equally engaged
● Is screen independent
● Is full of learning about our history, culture, and society
● Teaches life skills
● Brings friends and family together
● Is not expensive
● Is easy to learn
● Vocal for local is inbuilt
● Is phenomenally eco-friendly
● Generates employment for artisans
● Is exotic and exquisite, it is just so Instagram-able
● Is a Unique gift
Welcome to the mesmerizing world of Traditional Indian Board Games.A fine combination of Ancient and Contemporary. Many of us have known them in one form or the other, playing with them when we were young but now totally forgotten.
Recently when somebody re-introduced some of these games to me, I had mixed feelings. Like board Games at 40 — Nah. But then I tried. Played with my wife, son, and father. And it was super cool. Didn’t realize there exists an activity that cuts across generations. Don’t remember doing anything in which all can participate with the same level of enthusiasm. Usually, nowadays family time means watching TV together. Which in reality is more about fighting for the remote as there is hardly anything which captures the attention of every member of the family.
These games which have the capability of holding our attention in today’s digital age were played by Kings and Commoners alike — the commoners were playing with simple boards made on the floor and using seeds as pieces whereas the Kings were using gold, silver, jewels, ivory, and sandalwood.
Playing these games can potentially make a positive contribution to our country’s civilization as well. The civilization essentially is a sum-total of our shared history, way of life, societal interactions, cultural heritage, language, traditions, customs, legends, knowledge systems, attitude towards the underprivileged & outlook towards nature. Many of these attributes are taken care of when we play with board games.
In the form of these board games, we can experience the inherent intelligence of our forefathers who designed these games centuries ago. Playing with them improves our concentration & ability to think, it makes us do mental calculations, it trains us to take decisions under uncertainty, it teaches us to gracefully accept the losses without getting disheartened.
Board Games help in developing situation handling skills — these seemingly simple games mimic life situations. There are rules, there are options, one has to take chances and then there is luck. For example in Chaukha Bohra, you may have to choose between opening your piece, capturing the piece of the opponent, or making some other move.
Unlike many outdoor games, board games have the unique ability to involve all age groups. For instance, playing cricket with your old father or young children may have age-related issues but while playing board games, there is no problem. I used to play chess with my Nana Ji. The board games which I got recently, all my family members — my son, wife, father and I played together. Well, my 5-year-old daughter also played, however, as you can imagine, she wasn’t too concerned with the rules :)
Most of these games are relatively easy to learn. So even if one is exposed to them for the first time no matter what the age is, they can quickly get started.
These games are typically made of Cloth, Wood, Seeds & Shells and are produced by local artisans who are trying to revive these games — so it’s eco-friendly and also helps in generating the employment for the artisans. Sometimes we get into the charity mode when it comes to local artisans. However, I don’t think they need charity, all they just need is just a chance. A chance from you and Imeand we will rrealizeit is us who get to benefit the most by having board games. The benefit to the artisans is a bonus.
Other than us trying the games for ourselves, I strongly feel they are a unique gifting item. They are not so lethal on the pocket & there is a negligible probability of the other person already owning them. The games appear beautiful and exotic — a welcome change than the drab mmass-producedplastic board games or toys. They are handmade which means exquisite designs.
I got 3 games for myself Chaukha Bohra, Nau Keti Keta ,and Panchi
Chaukha Bohra — Spent maximum time playing this game with the family. A fun game that can turn around at any point in time. Can be played by 2, 3 or 4 people on the board and lot of others around the board shouting and howling :)
Nau Keti Keta — This is my personal favorite — a fast-paced game with no scope of a single wrong move.
Panchi — The most beautiful board I have seen. A cool two-player game.
My next board games are going to be Pachisi and Bagh Bakri
Pachisi — The game played by Pandavas in Mahabharat. However, the maximum I intend to bet is a round of ice cream.
Bagh Bakri — This is a classic game between the hunter and the hunted. Herein, the Bagh (Tiger) captures the Bakri (Goat), however, the Bakri can corner the Bagh with a few deft moves.
I have had an awesome experience writing this, even though I know that the words fall significantly short of what I have experienced. I wish and hope you will feel the same when you get to discover these board games for yourself. :)
