~ Indian Traditional Games ~

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games


Marriage Games


Mothitram Thedurathu ( மோதிரம் தேடுறது)

Mothitram Thedurathu yet another interesting traditional game played by bride and groom in marriages. This game is played in traditional marriages just to have fun and to get an understanding between the Bride and Groom.

How to Play:
This game is played only after the marriage that is after tying the Knot. A bucket of water with turmeric powder (Manjal) mixed in it, is placed in front of the Bride and Groom and then a relative is asked to put a ring in the bucket and whirl the water. While the water with the ring whirls, the Bride and Groom are asked to get the ring, since there is only one ring in the bucket it will either go to the hands of Bride or the Groom. They do this for three times. To add more fun the relative will not put the ring in the bucket for one instance. All the relatives gather around the Bride and groom and make fun of them by commenting and in other ways.

This game is played to bring understanding and sacrifice between each other on the first day in front of their relatives.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games

Indoor

Pallanguzhi (பல்லாங்குழி)



Pallanguzhi is an urban board game, once patronised by women in Tamil Nadu, Pallankuzhi is played by dropping seeds into pits on a board, It has been a women's pastime, also an entertaining way to improve math and motor skills or a marathon affair during festivals like Sivarathri and Vaikunda Ekadasi and is also played during the break at workplace

The game has fascinated researchers keen on unraveling its many anthropological and social aspects. Scholars have conducted researches on the game to find out the various skills of students at various levels.

Pallanguzhi is mostly played by Tamil women, both in Southern India and SriLanka. Men also play it sometimes for gambling.

Game Description
The board has 14 cups, each player controls seven cups. People used to play using tamarind seeds or Kauri shells. Three types of games are played using the 14 cup board, they are

Kattattam

6 seeds game and

12 seeds game



How to Play
Six seeds are placed in each cup. The player starting first picks up the seeds from any of her holes and, moving anti-clockwise, places one seed in each hole. If she reaches the end of her cups she goes on the other side of the board. When the player drops her last seed, she takes the seeds from the next cup and continues placing them in this way. If the last seed falls into a cup with an empty cup following it, the seeds in the cup following the empty cup, are captured by the player.
 
That player then continues play from the next cup containing seeds. If the last seed falls into a cup with two empty holes beyond, she captures no seeds and her turn is over. The next player continues play in the same way.
 
If, after having a seed dropped into it, if a cup contains four seeds, those seeds become the property of the player who dropped the seed. The round is over when no seeds remain.
Once the first round is over players take the seeds from their stores and fill as many of their holes as possible with 6 seeds each.

The winner will have a surplus of seeds which are kept in her store. The loser of the first round will be unable to fill all of her holes. These unfilled holes are marked as "rubbish holes."
 
In the next round play continues as before, but without the rubbish holes being included and the player who went first in the previous round going second.

During the game if a player has enough seeds to fill any of her rubbish holes, they are again used during play. The game is over when a player is unable to fill any cups with six seeds at the end of a round.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games

Indoor

Mangatha (மங்காத்த)



Mangatha is a very simple and popular card game, mainly played by adults by betting money, Kids play by betting tamarind seeds, matchbox labels, cigarette wrappers, bottle crowns, etc.  It's also known as "Ullae, Veliyae".

Things required to Play

Fair Playing cards – one deck
 
2 or more players



How to Play

First the players fix the bet (E.g. Say both the players bet equal amount of tamarind seeds) and place it on the table where they play

One Player from the group shuffles the deck and asks anyone in the group to pick a number and ask him where he wants the card ullae(in) or veliyae(out) (E.g. Say the player selects number 8 and tells ullae)

Now the player who has the deck starts throwing the cards in open in the table in two sets, one is named as Ullae (in) and the other as Veliyae (out)

If the card with number selected by player 2 first falls in ullae set then the player who selected the number wins the game and he takes all the tamarind seeds, but if it falls in the veliyae set all the tamarind seeds goes to the person who throws the card.

The winner takes the entire bet in the table.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games

Indoor

Five stones (Kuzhangal/ Anchankal/Kallankal)



The game of 5 stones is believed to have originated in Ancient Asia, during the Siege of Troy in 1184 B.C., Five stones is played by 2 or more players, using 5 small stones. The object is to complete a set of eight steps. This game increases the eye sight, memory power and builds concentration and aiming skills. This game is also called in various names like Kallangal, Anchangal in villages of Tamilandu.

Things you Need

5 stones of similar size

2 or more Players

How to Play
You need to play set of eight steps to complete the game. The player who completes these eight steps in minimal tries is the winner. First a player starts the game and if he/she misses any step then the second player takes the turn, the second player plays the game until he/she miss any step. Once all the players in set completes playing, the second round starts, the stones goes to the first player, he starts the game from the step he missed while playing the first round and the game continues. The player who completes all the eight rounds first is the winner.

Step 1

Throw all five stones

Whilst throwing a stone, pick one stone on the ground

Do this for all the stones on the ground

Step 2

Throw all five stones

Whilst throwing a stone, pick two stones at a time

Do this for the other two also

Step 3

Throw all five stones

Whilst throwing a stone, pick a combination of 3 & 1 Stones

Step 4

Throw all five stones

Whilst throwing a stone, pick all 4 Stones

Step 5

Whilst throwing one stone place four stones on the ground

Throw one stone again catch it whilst picking all four stones on the ground

Step 6

Throw all five stones

Pick two stones and whilst throwing a stone, exchange the stone in hand with one on the ground

Do for all the 3 stones

Step 7

Throw all five stones

Pick two stones and whilst throwing two stones, pick one on the ground and catch two falling stones with each hand

Do for all the 3 stones

Step 8

Throw all five stones

Opponent chooses 1 stone

Throw the stone in the air and seep up the remaining stones

Do for all the 3 stones

Rules

The winner of the game is the one who completes all the 8 steps.

A player loses his/her turn if he/she fails to complete a step or touches another stone when picking up a stone.

Finally, be creative, create your own steps.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games

Indoor

Name place animal things


Name Place Animal Things is a paper-pencil game, played by kids in a rainy day or a sunny day when they cannot go out to play. By playing this game, the kids come to know different Names, Places, Animals, and Things starting in all the alphabets. This helps them practice nouns in alphabets.

Although paper-pencil-games are simple in terms of materials needed, the rules of the group game have to be clearly specified, as the rules are not written anywhere, specifying them at the beginning of the game rules out any confusion later.

Things Required:

2 or more players

Paper

Pencil

How to play:

Each player who are in the game should draw the following table in their paper

The team should have a Caller and a Reciter, these roles are assigned to anyone throughout the game or is changes to all in a clockwise direction at the end of each round.

To start the game the Caller says 'Start' to the Reciter and the Reciter recites the alphabet in his mind (inaudibly).

After an interval, the caller says 'Stop' to the reciter. The Reciter says the alphabet where he was stopped.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games

Indoor

Pulli pulli (புள்ளி புள்ளி)



Dots is a fun game to play in the car (if you're a passenger), in study hall or on a rainy afternoon. You need nothing more than a playing partner, a sheet of paper and a pen, and you'll have fun for hours.

Things you need:

Two or more players

Paper

Pen or pencil



How to Play "Dots"

First make a Dots board in a blank piece paper by drawing evenly spaced dots in a grid pattern. The board can be large or as small as you like or based upon the time you have to play, but make sure there are same numbers of dots across as there are up and down.

The first player draws a single line between two adjacent dots anywhere in the dots board.

The line should be vertical or horizontal and can only connect two dots together. The next player does the same.

The object of the game is to create complete box shapes, comprised of four lines connected between four dots. When a player completes a square, he marks his initials neatly inside the square. Once a player has completed a box and initialed it, he gets a second turn.

Continue drawing lines until there are no more moves left. Count the number of boxes each player has initialed.

The winner is the player who has the most number of boxes at the end of the game.

Tips & Warnings
The larger you make the Dots board, the longer the game will last, so customize the size of your playing board to the amount of time you have to play.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games

Indoor

Soodu kottai (சூடு கொட்டை)



In olden days kids used to play and have fun with naturally and readily, available things got from trees, plants, etc.One such game known by all and played even today is Soodu Kottai, It is got from the cylindrical flowers of Kalyana murungai, which is one of the most colorful indigenous tree of peninsular India.

Kids used to collect the seeds and rub it on the floor to generate heat it in, the beauty of this seed is it generates more heat while rubbing on the floor and maintain the heat in the seed. Then the rubbed hot seed is put on any part of the body other than face. The kid who got the hot seed will run and will do the same to the kid who gave him the hot treatment. It’ll be great fun that the kids will put the hot seed on other when the receiver is unaware of it.

The other one is Pattaas Kaai. It is found on road side bushes in Villages. This seed will burst in few seconds after you sprinkle water on it. Kids used to collect them while going to school, and will sprinkle water on it and put inside the dress of other kids. The seed with water on it will burst inside the dress which will create an irritating sensation in the body, its of great fun when kids run here and there after the seed gets busted in their body.

Kids collect another plant, which has a hollow stem with a rose color flower at the end of it. Kids use the stem part, which is like a tube to blow bubbles with soap water. It is a seasonal game where the kids blow bubbles when the flower blossoms.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games


Board Games


Aadu puli attam (ஆடு புலி ஆட்டம் )



Aadu Puli aatam (goat and tiger game) is a strategic, two-player (or 2 teams) board game originated in Tamil Nadu and is also played in Karnataka(Huli gatta) and Andhra Pradesh(Puli Joodam or Puli - Meka). The game is asymmetric in that one player controls three tigers and the other player controls up to 15 goats. The tigers 'hunt' the goats while the goats attempt to block the tigers' movements.

Things Needed to Play:

Board with the game chart or Chart drawn on a floor (See Picture for chart)

2 or more players

3 Pulli’s & 15 Aadu’s



How to play:

Draw the chart as in the picture in a paper or on the ground with chalk powder

Start the game with 3 Pulis (tigers) are one placed on the apex, and 2 in the inner place closest to the apex. All aadus (goats) start off the board.

The pieces must be put at the intersections of the board lines and moves should follow these lines.

The player controlling the aadus' moves first by placing an aadu onto a free intersection on the board.

Then it is the puli's turn. One puli is then moved to an adjacent position along the lines that indicate the valid moves. Moves alternate between players.

A puli captures an aadu by jumping over it to an adjacent free position (as in checkers). Aadus can not move until all 15 have been put on the board.

Rules
The pulis must move according to these rules:

They can start capturing aadus any moment after the match has started.

They can capture only one aadu at a time.

They can jump over a goat in any direction, but it must be to an adjacent intersection following any of the lines drawn on the board.

A Puli cannot jump over another Puli.

The Aadus must move according to these rules:

They must leave the board when captured.

They cannot jump over the Pulis or other aadus.

They can only move after all 15 have been put on the board.

Objective of the Game:

Aadu's objective is to encircle Pulis so that none of the Pulis can move. Puli's objective is to kill 5 Aadus.

Puli wins if all the aadus are captured and Aadu wins if all Pulis are blocked from movement.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games


Board Games


Paramapadham (பரமபதம்) [Thayam (தாயம்)]



Paramapadham (Thayam) is Snakes and Ladders in English; it was created in ancient India before 1892. It is also known as Parama Pada Sopanam means Steps to the Highest Place (where Parama Pada means highest place and Sopanam means steps). Paramapadham was inspired by religion; and was believed to be symbolic of a man's attempt to reach God. The ladders represent virtues and the snakes represent vices. The snakes carry names linking them to stories from our epics.



Things Required:

Paramapadam Board or any Snake and Ladder Board

Dice

Markers (Game Pieces)



How to play:

Parama Pada Sopanam board and the dice used to play will be available in shops around Permual temple’s during vaikunda yekadesi as people used to play Parama Padam on vaikunda yekadesi day as they will not sleep on that day.

Game Pieces may be anything like Seeds, Coins, Shells, etc the only requirement is each has to be different to identify which belongs to the respective player

Players place their game pieces on the space on the board labeled "0" and can start only when they get 1 (Thayam) when they roll the dice. The dice is rolled in clockwise direction or may also decide by all the players rolling the dice and the one who get the largest resulting number will take the first turn.

The first player rolls the dice and mark off the number rolled starting on the "1" spot on the board. All players take turns rolling the dice and moving their markers.

If the marker reaches the number which has bottom of the ladder he climbs the ladder and go to the top of the ladder and continue from there, and If the marker reaches the number which has the face of the snake then he needs to go down to the box where it has its tail and continue from there.

A player gets an extra turn if he gets 1, 5, 6 while rolling but he needs to move the marker each time he rolls the dice as he needs to follow the ladder or snake for each turn. If the player gets three ‘6’ in a row while rolling he must return to ‘0’ that is the beginning of the board and should not move until he roll’s another 6 on his turn.

In some boards there will be directions written on the boxes For example, if it says "go back three spaces" Follow the directions and go back 3 boxes.

The winner of the game is the one who first reaches the "100" box on the board.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games


Board Games


Langa katta (லங்கா கட்டை)



Langa Katta is one of the famous and simple traditional game played in villages by adults betting money. A dealer hosts this game. The money lost by the players while playing go to him, and he is responsible for giving the winners their price money. Kids also play this game without betting.

Requirement
Specialized Board and Dice with a container to roll the dice.

Board
The board is a specially made square board divided into 4 as shown in the figure, and then any Pictures or playing card symbols are drawn on the board.

Dice
Three Dices specially made with the faces having the pictures or symbols as in board. The dealers make tricks in designing the Dice.

Rules

The betters need to bet money on the pictures/symbols in the board.

The dealer will have three dices with the same pictures / symbols on the face of the dice

The dealer will roll the dice.

The picture that faces up after rolling the dice is the winner.

Since three dices are there is a probability of all the dices showing same picture or showing two similar pictures or three different pictures.

The Players who betted money on the picture that did not turn up will go to the dealer and they are the losers

If a picture comes in 1 dice then the player gets 50% extra of the money he betted on that picture

If a picture comes in 2 dice then the player gets 75% extra of the money he betted on that picture

If a picture comes all the 3 dice then the player gets 100% extra of the money he betted on that picture

The Adult Game

The dealer will sit under a tree and make noise by putting the dice in the tin container and will invite the players to play the game.

The dealer will first throw the dice and will make the player win for 2 to 3 round and tempt him to bet more money.

Once the player gets confidence in winning then the dealer will start playing trick on rolling the game and make the player lose all his money to him.

The Kids Game
All the kids playing the game gets a chance to roll the dice. The kids play by betting Tamarind seeds or by just noting down the points they betted. The kid with more tamarind seeds or with maximum pot is the winner of the game.

[MysteRy]

Indian Traditional Games


Board Games


Sozhi Urutturadhu (சோழி உருட்டுறது)



Sozhi Urutturadhu is a traditional game played using Sozhi (சோழி) that is cauri shells. Lot of games are played using Sozhi. Sozhi is a replacement for dice in Paramapada. Sozhi has two side’s one is the top which is fully covered while the bottom has a opening in it. When the shells are rolled and thrown on ground, some will have the fully covered part on the top and some with the opening part on the top. The number of shells with the fully coved covered part on top is counted or vice –versa. The count is considered as we do it in dice.
Sozhi is also used to play othaya retiya (Odd or Even). Around 5 to 6 shells are rolled by asking the players whether they want an odd number or even number before throwing the shells on ground.  Once the players choose their option, the rolled shells are thrown on the ground and counted for open and close shells on top. If the open shells are odd in number, then the players who opted for odd will get a point and the players who opted for even will lose. They play this game and note the point in a paper and will continue to play until they are tired, the player with maximum mark at the end is the winner.

Some people used to judge future using sozhi. Sozhi plays a vital role in the life of people in TamilNadu Villages.