Oct 12, 2024
The Lost Tradition of Centuries-Old Indian Games
Though there are many traditional games for which some documentation and historical references are available, there are many that have lost their significance due to the lack of proper records.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 hello88 popularity. Today Ludo is much-loved by kids and is also available to play online.
Kith-Kith
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
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.
Gilli Danda
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
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