FORGOTTEN GAMES - 2

Its been quite a while but here's a second edition of some of the games we used to play... but not so much any more. You have been reminded of games like Ikri-Dukri, 7 stones, patang baazi, etc. in the first edition of this article, and now we will fall back in time with a few other games we used to play.

KHO-KHO is a traditional Indian game which is simple in its concept and demands a lot of physical activity. Known earlier as "Rathera", this game had its origins in Maharashtra, and probably chariots or "rath" were used. This game is a modified form of "run-chase" where two teams of 12 players (with 9 on the field) play two innings of 7 minutes each, chasing and defending. The "chasers" sit on the field facing alternating directions, and one chaser will go after one member from the defending team. While the defending team member is free to run within the boundary limit specified, the chaser has to run in one direction only. An active chaser can change position with a seated chaser, by touching him from behind by palm, and uttering the word 'kho' loudly, and simultaneously, chase or attack is built up through a series of 'khos' as the chase continues with a relay of chasers. The rules were first framed in the beginning of the 20th century and has been active ever since. But since the advent of media explosion for games like cricket, football and tennis, the popularity of this game is slowling waning. Come to think of it, I've gotten a gold medal during my school days for winning in Kho-Kho.



Cesta Punta is a fast paced game from the Basque country (an autonomous region in northern Spain), which is said as "the fastest game in the world". The ball or 'pelota' covered with goatskin can travel at speeds greater than 300 km/h. Traditionally this game is called Jai Alai. It involves hurling the ball onto a three-walled court and not letting the ball touch the ground (in which case, it is out of bounds, or a point is given to the other team). More about this game can be read HERE. Interestingly, this sport was featured in the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona. The above video shows a game in progress. Like many other traditional games, this fast paced game is dying a slow death.

And then, how can we forget those numerous board games? India has invented a lot of board games: Pachisi (Ludo), Snakes and Ladders, and Chess to name a few. The game of Pachisi has been synonymous with gambling even in Indian mythology (Mahabharat). Chess originated in India which is quite popular even today. The other forgotten game is the beautiful SNAKES and LADDERS. This originated sometime around 1200 AD, and involved dice too. Each space was called a house, and each house represented a kind of emotion. You threw dice to see how far you should go, and used a cowrie shell for your piece. The ladders stood for good feelings, while the snakes stood for bad feelings that took you farther away from Nirvana, so to speak!

Many young girls and boys in India play a variety of sweet games. There are no proper names for them, but let me put forward the idea...

1. Name, Place, Animal, Thing- A random letter is chosen and everybody has to write the name of a person, a place, an animal and a thing starting with that letter- the one who does it first scores maximum points. Points are shared if names are repeated among contestants.

2. Book cricket- An offshoot from cricket, this is popular among young boys. A random page of the book is chosen and the last digit of the page number would be the "runs" you score. Alternate turns are taken and the one with the maximum "runs" in say, 20 flips would be the winner.

3. Aam Chuki, Chapan Chuki, Tana Baba, Kadam Badaye, Aali dus...!

4. Chidiya udd- A game popular with young girls. All your hands should be on a flat surface, with palm facing down. One girl asks "Chidiya Udd?", and you should lift your fingers (as a chidiya or bird does "udd" or "fly"). Many things are said and you should lift your fingers only if that thing flies. For example, if she asks "Haathi udd?", and you accidently lift your fingers, you are out (as a haathi or an elephant does not fly).

5. Poshampa bhai- A cute game played by girls. Two girls will raise their hands and clasp them together like a bridge or arch. All the other girls will form a line and pass under the arch. While doing so, the two girls will sing:

"posham pa bhai posham pa,

dakiyon ne kya kiya,

100 rupee ki ghadi churai,

ab to jail mein aana padega,

jail ki roti khani padegi,

jail ka paani peena padega,

ab to jail mein aana padega"

The girl who is in the arch during last line will be "jailed" when the two girls bring their hands down and "arrest" this girl. She will go and hold one of the two girls from the back. This is repeated till the time all of them are jailed. Half of them will hold one girl and rest the other. Then begins a tug of war game, with the arms as rope. The team which forces the other team out wins. Creative, but sweet! Oh, I remember playing tug-of-war many times while in school, but not afterwards.

6. L-O-N-D-O-N STATUE- One player turns towards a wall and spells out L -O -N -D -O -N while the others run a few steps to her from a distance and stop the minute she turns around- they stand as statues, and she tries to make them move. Then she goes back to spell London; this continues till they are very close to her and they must touch her and run away before she catches them.

7. There is the game played by young boys in India where you use a tennis ball to hit the member of the opposition team, and a hit means your team get a point and he is "killed". The team with maximum members in the end win.

8. Oonch/Neech- This game is played on an uneven surface with a Oonch (higher surface) and neech (lower surface). A person with a coin tries to give it to the rest of the group. He asks "Oonch maangi Neech?" (do you want higher or lower surface). The rest of the kids will shout their choices. The kid giving the coin has to catch the person who is not on the chosen surface.

Scrabble and Carrom are still being played in households on a rainy day, or with friends and relatives on holidays. During the eternal power cuts in the night, a candle will be the witness to the "twenty questions" game where you have to guess a personality in 20 guesses. You can ask probing questions for which the answer will be YES/NO/MAYBE. And there are outdoor games like Kabbadi, which we are reminded of only during those sports meet they telecast on Doordarshan (remember DD, anybody? It is India's national television channel...)

Young people of today are of the opinion that games are played with a joystick and involves a PS3, Nintendo, XBox or a Wii. They should get out in the open and play some of these games, just for social bonding if not for anything else.

Copyright:
Kho-Kho, from Microsoft India Research
Snakes and Ladders, from Artytart.com