CHENNAI: Driving down the hill from Tirupathi one day, I saw numerous piles of stacked stones. They brought back long-forgotten memories of the game of Pithoo or Lagori or Sitholiya or Seven Stones as it is called across the country. Legend has it that Lord Krishna played this game with his friends. I remembered with a smile the happy moments spent during school days on the playground. The game is played by two teams in an open space with a ball and a set of seven stones. I remember that we searched the area for flat stones, often construction debris and carefully selected the best ones to use. The long debates and arguments over the choice of stones, carefully hiding them for a game the next time we played, the friends we made, and what we learned about each other and from each other were all part of that joyous bond of childhood.
We would stack the seven stones, carefully balancing one on the other. The uneven nature of the stones and the care required in balancing them added to the charm of the exercise. Once done, the teams would scatter, and the attackers would break down the stack and try to prevent the defenders from rebuilding it. The weapon of choice was a carefully aimed ball that had to hit the defenders to get them out.
It was a game of fun and laughter and it was only years later, when I saw the numerous stacked stones at Tirupathi, that I started to think more about the essence of the game.
Stacked stones have been used in numerous cultures as a way of expression. They have been used to mark a path, as a memorial or a point of pilgrimage or merely as a form of artistic expression. However, I was fascinated to learn that these simple pleasures had taken on an interesting twist and there were several rock balancing artistes who had numerous theories on balancing rocks and even a rock balancing World Championship!
It reminded me of another childhood game of building a house of cards. This involved stacking playing cards on top of each other. In fact, the term ‘house of cards’ has passed into our vocabulary as something build on a shaky foundation or one that would collapse easily. I have read that the act of stacking cards can be very calming and is recommended by many to steady the hands and calm the mind. I am reminded of the playground from my childhood when my friend was always chosen to stack the stones because she was calm and had steady hands. We learned so much without being told.
In the case of Tirupathi, the stacked stones had a more personal expression. They were part of a prayer or a deep wish for the individual to build or buy their own home. The stacked stones became a metaphor of sorts for the home itself. Once I realised this, I started looking out and found such arrangements of stacked stones at numerous temples across south India.
Thus, in my mind, the game took on new meaning. The act of defending the stacked stones became imbued with the act of defending a home from attackers, of protecting oneself, one’s family and one’s place of living. I am always fascinated by the directions I am taken to understand more about our life and culture when I try to understand more about our games.