BENGALURU: Pagade, India’s national board game, is also know by other names like Chaupar and Chausar. It was first introduced in the Mahabharatha. “When played by the Pandavas and Kauravas, friendship and land was usually at stake,” says Nagaraj Babu, a 58-year-old executive, who is a fan of the game.
The game consists of four rectangular strips of cloth attached to a central piece. There are three rows of eight squares on each strip. The rules are simple — four sets of pawns belong to each of the four players. Two dice, made of ivory, are thrown on the board and the pawns move in a sequential order around the entire board. The first player to get his pawns inside the central square is the winner.
Although a serious game, it is entertaining. “It requires a lot of tact, but is extremely fun when played by all four people” says Nagaraj, who used to play the game with his siblings.
“It’s quite easy to cheat in Pagade. I once scored a doublet of sixes and was about to win when my brother swapped one die for another which had a four on it; and thanks to him, I lost the game,” he laughs.
“During festivals, my siblings and I would spend our time playing Pagade. Sometimes, we would switch it up and play it the other way round — the first person to reach the outside would win,” he says.
Pagade, also called the ‘race game’, is quite similar to Ludo. “I like both games equally; but Pagade helps strengthen your memory. It is a jovial game and keeps the players connected at all times,” says Nagaraj.
He adds that they used to play for money and the winner had to treat the rest of the players to pani puri. “We would usually play for about `500. Whoever won would have to buy pani puri for the rest of us at Jayanagar 4th block,” he laughs, adding that the prize money was always used up and any excess would we carried over to the next game.
Game of pawns
The aim of Pagade, which can be played by either two or four players, is to get your pawn inside the central square first. The movement of pawns depends on the number you roll on the dice