When we talk about embracing traditions, it is not just the history, art and sculptures. Some stories are etched in games and living heritage, too. Putting the spotlight on this, Kreeda, in collaboration with Kamala – the Crafts Shop of the Crafts Council of India, presents ‘A Summer Journey in India’, a weekly programme celebrating India’s living traditions through traditionalgames, crafts, and stories. On Saturday, the heritage of Karnataka was a discussed by Vinita Sidhartha of Kreeda and historian V Sriram. “It is important to know about our artisans, crafts, and traditional games along with the history,” said Vinita.
During the conversation, Sriram discussed the exemplary art sculptures in temples of Karnataka. The historian took the attendees on a virtual trip to the temples built by Hoysalas and Chandelas. Talking about the similarities of the sculptures of these two dynasties that are 150 years apart, he noted, “It is amazing to see the connection between them. It is a puzzle for me till now to see the sculpture of a man killing a creature on top of the temple by the Hoyasalas and Chandelas.” He then highlighted the Chennakesava temple built by the Hoysalas, and noted that people pass through this temple as they do any other, but one could learn the entire Ramayana by just looking at the beautiful carvings.
Vinita, an active researcher of traditional games in India, said, “Karnataka, out of all states in our country, has wonderful race games.” Sharing her experience finding games engraved on the floors of these temples, she said it was interesting to know the varieties of intellectual games played by our ancestors. “I have known of pallankuzhi being a two-player game usually. But, I also heard of that it has been played by three people. At Chennakesava temple, I saw a carving of three-player pallankuzhi.” She went on to share her exploration in Mysuru, mentioning the speciality of board games by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III that are not to be missed that are meticulously built with strategies. “Each coin has its own move depicting a symbol,” she added.
Vinita, who also curated the event — a series held every Saturday of this month focussing on different states — noted that the main idea was to say games, music, crafts, and history are not different but interconnected. These games could be easily found in shops anywhere, but the authenticity is what matters. “This (Kamala Crafts Shop) is the shop where people find handmade crafts. It is to support the artisans and weavers of India,” she said.
The final session of this series will be held on May 30 at Kamala. Vinita Sidhartha will discuss the heritage and games of Tamil Nadu with history enthusiast Pradeep Chakravarthy. The session is for all. Entry fee: `250 per family. Time: 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.