CHENNAI: The game of carroms, with its square-shaped board and white, black and pink (the queen) coins is a common feature in almost every home. But surprisingly, in Kerala, a game very much similar to carroms is played in villages, but not with usual boards and coins! The game is called njottikali and is played in the rural areas of the state, especially in regions where rubber plantations are abundant.
“The game is played using pebbles or rubber seeds,” says Pramila Mohan, a housewife. The board, instead of being square in shape, is circle.
What’s special about njottikali is any number of players can play the game. Even the veranda floor or the courtyard can double up as the playing board. So how is it played? A circle is drawn and 11 pebbles (or rubber seeds) are placed inside the circle. A flat stone or another rubber seed is used as the striker.
“Just like in carroms the player has to strike the coins using the striker, so too in njottikali one has to strike the pebbles/seeds. The ones the player manages to strike are removed from the game,” says Pramila.
If the striker goes out of the circle or if the player is unable to strike a seed then he/she loses his/ her chance. The next player then steps in. “Now, the next step is what differentiates this game from carroms. When the next player steps in, the seeds or pebbles won by the former player are returned to the circle after counting them,” says Pramila.
The game then resumes with the entire 11 seeds or pebbles. The person who strikes out the most number of seeds is declared the winner. “It is fun if you don’t mind getting a little dirt in your nails,” she adds. “I used to play this game a lot in my younger age, but with loss of space and lack of time the game is slowly disappearing from rural areas,” she rues.