CHENNAI : Gone are those days when board games used to be a family affair,” said M Parimala, deputy librarian, Connemara Public Library. The International Museum Day celebrations at the government museum wrapped up with a workshop on traditional games on Thursday. Parents were given an opportunity to revisit their childhood and pass on the treasured games to their children. The children had a hands-on experience with board games like paramapadham (snake and ladder), pallanguzhi (a two-player board game) and thattu attam (ludo).
“We used to play paramapadham on auspicious ekadashi nights when devotees of Lord Vishnu observe fasting. The board games were the most sought-after entertainment during family get-togethers. Every game had its own superstitious beliefs. In this game, if a player lands on a snake, and if it is a child, then we would scare them telling it’s because of a mistake. And if they land on a ladder then we’d say it’s a reward,” said Parimala.
Pallanguzhi can be played using different methods. It has several names — pasupandi, rajapandi, kasipandi, and kattupandi. “It is said that this game was played by Sita in Ashokavanam. The game helps you improve calculation and thinking power. In fact, these games do not require electricity and can be played anywhere,” she shared, adding that she was surprised to find most kids aware of the rules of the games.
We observe that dayakattai (dice) was common in most of the games. “Some people were also superstitious about the time of playing these games. Snake and ladder was said to have brought an ill fate to Pandavas in the Mahabharata. Some do not play on Fridays and after 6 pm. Rolling a dice after that time is considered inauspicious,” she explained.
Every game is associated with mythology. “Most of the olden temples still have carvings on the floor and inscriptions on the stone walls. They have left us all a hint to preserve and take these games forward to many more generations,” she said.