Cowrie shells are a popular element of play across the country. Many games are played with them, and I have learned many rules. Recently, however, I was reading about the game Haaran Gindun — an old Kashmiri game played with cowries or haar as they are called in Kashmir.
Haar or cowries are molluscan seashells that have found many uses. They are used in ornamentation and can often be seen adorning the edges of bags or scarves.It was said that in the old days these shells were used as currency, so playing and winning the game is believed to have auspicious overtones. In fact, a well-decorated drawstring pouch of haars was usually given to the daughters on the eve of Mahashivarathri, when they returned to their father’s house.
The distinctive aspect of cowries is that they can fall two different ways — mount side up or slit side up. This makes it a wonderful element of play and scoring. This binary aspect of cowries has made them a popular throw piece or type of dice in many games. They have a porcelain appearance and can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes, and even with distinctive patterning. The hear, though, are usually small-ish and white in colour, though some are distinctly yellow.
This game, from what I understand, was played when families came together, and most prominently on the eve of Mahashivaratri. Reports are that whole families came together to play this game — to celebrate togetherness and friendship. There was no restriction on the number of players, but each one had to possess a large number of haar and begin by contributing a certain minimum number. Players with a larger number of haar could stay in the game longer and consequently had a greater chance of winning.
At the start, all players contributed a fixed number of haar (usually four) each to form a pool of playable shells for the round. The unit that each player contributed was known as tchakh. When the playable shells were finished, each player again contributed his share of tchakh till he or she could no longer offer any and hence, was out of the game.
Each player was also expected to have one easily identifiable and distinctive shell called the botul. This shell was important and had to be easy for the player to identify in a group of shells.
The main objective was to collect as many shells as possible. The players took turns throwing a set number of cowries on the floor. The way the cowries landed determined the points. Different communities and groups had preset combinations, patterns, and rules for scoring. The person who collected the most cowries by the end of the game was considered the winner.
An effort to recapture the rules of this game will help us remember the joy and kinship that echoed in that beautiful state when so many played the game.
If anyone knows more about this game, please do reach out and share it with me at vinita@kreedagmes.com.