What do you think of when you hear the words ‘childhood games’? For some, it might be hide and seek in the backyard, or carrom played on summer afternoons. For others, it could be ludo with cousins or marbles on the veranda. But for many who walked into the immersive experience curated by Kreeda in collaboration with the Crafts Council of Telangana, it was traditional games like Ashta Chamma, Pallanguzhi (Vamanaguntalu), Aadu Puli Aatam (Puli Meka), Kattam Vilayattu, Hoopstick, Five Stones, Solah Seedi, Dahdi and more that brought back a flood of memories.
The event didn’t just showcase these games; it brought them to life. Spread across the room were wooden boards, colourful seeds and shells, with families huddled around them, learning, playing, and laughing together. What stood out the most was the range of people enjoying themselves, from children to elderly visitors who hadn’t played these traditional games in decades.
These weren’t just pastimes. Many of these games were once carved into the floors of temples and monuments, played with care and strategy, carrying a cultural significance far beyond what meets the eye. They were social tools, learning devices, and memory-makers; all rolled into one.
For Vinita Sidhartha, founder of Kreeda, the organisation that works to revive traditional games of India. For her, this event was deeply personal. “I was fascinated watching my grandmother play these traditional games with my children and often wondered if I would be able to pass them on as a grandmother. That thought led me to research how the games are played, which ones to choose, where to find them and their relevance today. I now speak about their use in education, life skills, corporate training and culture. I run an experience centre in Chennai and Arjun from the Crafts Council of Telangana loved it and brought it to Hyderabad, customised for AP-Telangana people,” she said.
And just like that, the games weren’t just games anymore. They became bridges between generations, between the past and the present, between memory and discovery. Some came out of curiosity, others out of nostalgia, but everyone left with a smile and a sense of connection. And, in a world full of fast-paced digital worlds, this space reminded people what it’s like to slow down and simply enjoy the joy of playing traditional games together.