In our trip to 12 Jyotirlingas, next in sequence is Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga. Let us travel down south to experience the power of Shiva- Parvati as Arjuna and Mallika. Srisailam, also referred to as the “Kailash of the South,” is a revered and ancient site in Andra Pradesh, South India. Hundreds of temples and shrines honouring […]Read More
Jyotirlingas are religious representations of the Hindu god Shiva. The term is a Sanskrit composite of Jyotis (‘radiance’) and linga (‘sign’). The Śiva Mahāpurāṇam (also Shiva Purana) lists 64 original jyotirlinga shrines in India. According to a Shiva mythology from the Shiva Purana, Brahma (the deity of creation) and Vishnu (the god of preservation) had […]Read More
Many traditional games have given way to numerous new ones. Some are surviving, either in their original form or through adaptations. Many young entrepreneurs and enthusiasts have attempted to repackage traditional games for greater acceptance. Daykattai or Dayakattam or Dayaboss is a ‘board’ game from Tamil Nadu that has survived, at least in some areas. […]Read More
Ali Guli Mane, known as Chenne Mane in coastal Karnataka, Akal Patta in North Karnataka and Satkoli (MH), is an abstract strategy board game from Karnataka. Its concept is sowing and reaping – an integral part of rural life in India. It belongs to the Mancala family of board games, means “wooden block with holes”, […]Read More
I think everyone would agree that Ludo was the game that Indians played the most during the COVID lockdown. Remember, Ludo King. While not much is known about the game’s past, we have all played and continue to love it. Allow me to take you on Ludo’s or Chauapr’s journey. Chaupar, chopad, or chaupad, is […]Read More
Pachisi is a cross and circle Indian board game that is played between two to four people. Traditionally it is played on a cross shaped cloth, however, any surface may be used, including a drawing or engraving on the floor. The name of the game finds its roots in the Hindi word “Pacchis” meaning twenty-five. […]Read More
Dice games have been played in India since the Shramanic period, with game boards and pieces discovered in the Indus Valley civilisation. Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Lothal, Kalibangan, Alamgirpur, and other sites have discovered ivory and bone artifacts of various shapes and sizes, some with dots and regarded as “dice” and/or “gaming pieces”. Dice playing is also […]Read More
If I were to ask you which was the first board game you owned, most of you would say Snakes and ladders (Saanp-Sidhi). However, we are not aware of the origin, journey and the deep ingrained meaning of this wonderful game. Well not anymore! The game of Snakes and Ladders is a board game that […]Read More
Ashtāpada, refers to the game’s 8×8 chekered-board. Patanjali mentioned this interpretation in a Mahābhāshya text from the second century. Literally translating, Ashtapada translates to “eight-legged” in Sanskrit. The Sutrakrilānga, an early Brahman book, explicitly denounced the game. The Vinayapitaka, a canonical Buddhist literature from the fourth or third century BC that introduces the Buddha’s Dialogues, […]Read More
Imagine you’re 11 years old and its summer vacation time. Everyone is sitting at home, sipping some cold drinks and ice popsicles. Suddenly someone says “Let’s play a game”. The ‘cool’ kids would be playing Monopoly, Business, Uno, while the normal ones like you and me are playing Ludo, praying to God that may you […]Read More