CHENNAI: From July 28, Chennai has been playing host to a landmark event — the 44th Chess Olympiad. Almost the entire city has been bedecked with black and white squares reminiscent of a chess board and all eyes have turned to the historical town of Mahabalipuram, where the event is in progress. There’s a lot of excitement in the air as people encourage the Indian chess team mentored by iconic five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand. Chess stories abound, including tales of a temple where chess has been played. And truly chess is part of our culture, our heritage and our passion. But chess is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to talking about India’s gaming tradition.
Intercultural interaction
India has a vast range of other traditional games, of every type and kind, appealing to every taste and these games are in danger of being forgotten. It is to address this ne e d , tha t Kreeda, under the umbrella of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, was invited to showcase a range of traditional games at the Olympiad. It is a great place to be. The excitement in the air is palpable for spectators and players alike. But as the matches draw to a close each day, and the cool sea breeze sets in, the crowd spill over onto a beautiful lawn adjoining the food court.
Here, Kreeda has spread out lifesize boards of games such as Kattam Vilayattu and Paramapadam, while other g a m e s such as Aadu Puli Aatam, Pallanguzhi, Solah Seedi, Dahdi, Panch Kone or Nakshatra Vilayatu and many others are set-up for people to enjoy, experience and play. The focus of this effort was to capture and showcase the wonderful games from India to Indians and visitors. People have flocked to play these games marvelling at the wide range of options available.
It has been delightful to see the response from children and adults scampering up ladders and coming down snakes on a large Parama Padam, which captures the true traditional essence of snakes and ladder. Today the Western import has lost the essence, which was reflective of a man’s journey through life. The ladders symbolise virtues, and the snakes symbolise vices, so people could gather virtues and become better and better human beings, thus reaching Parama Pada or the highest place. But what was most exciting is how so many people from different countries and cultures enjoyed the games. The traditional games corner became an intercultural interaction with people from different countries bonding over Indian games. Players from Malta, Kenya, and even Saudi Arabia enjoyed the life-sized Parama Padam.
Games players played
Alex from the Japanese team who was born in Ukraine and grew up in the US was fascinated by the bambaram or lattu and was excited to hold it, spinning on his palm. Egesa from Congo and Joyce from Kenya both recalled seeing their grandparents play a game similar to Pallanguzhi but could not remember the rules. Finally, they decided to face-off over a game of Dahdi. Namgay Dolma from Bhutan was familiar with Pallanguzhi and told us it was called Apaiguto in her country, as she decided to take a break from chess by playing this old and familiar game.
When the players from Cape Verde decided to try their hand at Aadu Puli Aatam, they were surprised that they could not sacrifice a piece as in chess. We urged them to think differently by pointing out the difference between chess and Aadu Puli Aatam or the tiger and goat game. Chess was a game for royalty where the good of all was greater than the good of the individual, but in Aadu Puli Aatam all the game pieces had to be protected to strengthen the community of goats and therefore win. Interactions and awareness such as this increased their understanding of India and its culture.
Another player from Mozambique approached us and told us that the game of Dhadi was familiar to him. This game is played in India by two players each having nine game pieces. They try to create three-in-a-row patterns repeatedly, each time removing a piece from the other player. The three-in-a-row patterns can be created horizontally or vertically. It was interesting to learn that in Mozambique, the game is played with 12 pieces each and the three-in-a-row can be created diagonally as well.
Same game, different rules
The game that many players were able to relate to was Pallanguzhi. Played on a wooden board with seven pits on each side, players distribute the game pieces following certain rules and try to collect the most treasure. Players from Congo, Niger and Cape Verde were curious to play our versions of the game and teach us their rules. I had always known that versions of the game were popular in Africa, but it was exciting to meet with players and learn their rules and stories. Players from Congo even recognised our board of Chaupad or Dayakattam as similar to a game played in their country and players from Cape Verde identified Kattam Vilayattu — a simple three-in-a-row game — as Flick Flack, a popular game among children there. While the Olympiad is an exciting sporting event, it is also an opportunity to bring cultures, countries and players together. While the games matter and the results matter, it is equally important to find ways to interact and learn to respect each other, respect different cultures and people. And what better way than to laugh over a traditional game and bond over shared traditions and ideologies. The writer is the founder of Kreeda Games.