Traditional games of South Asia

South Asia has many traditional games and sports. Two of them, kabaddi and kho-kho, are played at the South Asian Games, with kabaddi also featuring at the Asian Games.[1] Many of these games are played across the entire subcontinent under different names and with some rule variations, while some of these games may be played only in certain countries or regions.

A tackle occurring in kabaddi, South Asia's most professionally played traditional game.

History

Some traditional South Asian games, such as kabaddi, kho-kho, and atya-patya, are believed to be thousands of years old, dating back to ancient India.[2][3][4] Many South Asian games likely reflect characteristics of traditional life in South Asia; for example, the Bengali hopscotch game of ekka-dokka (related to Stapoo and Chindro) may reflect the concepts of land division and ownership of property in ancient times.[5]

After the British colonisation of South Asia which peaked in the 1800s and afterwards, British and European sports such as cricket, football, and hockey began to be followed to a greater extent, to the detriment of the traditional games.[6] The modern advent of urbanisation,[7] globalisation (which attracted people towards more globally popular games),[8] and technology (which gave people digital forms of entertainment such as the Internet, television, and video games)[9] have further diminished the traditional South Asian sports.[10] Additional reasons include religious extremism in some areas, which has restricted people from playing certain games, and lack of governmental support.[11]

However, some professional leagues are now being started for certain traditional sports, such as the Pro Kabaddi League and Ultimate Kho Kho, which are beginning to revive interest in these sports and even globalise them.[12][13]

Traditional games

Gillidanda

Gillidanda or gulli danda is a game where players attempt to hit a stick as far as possible to score points. It has similarities to the popular South Asian sport of cricket, as well as to traditional games around the world, such as tipcat.[14]

Chindro

Chindro or Cheendro (related to ekka dokka in Bangladesh) is a game similar to hopscotch. Players attempt to move a rock through a series of boxes while hopping on one foot.[15][16][17]

Gutte

Gutte (similar to Meergati and Bilghotti in Pakistan) involves players throwing up and then grabbing stones on the ground, while ensuring none of the stones falls from the air to the ground.[18][16][15]

Dark room

Dark room is the same as hide-and-seek, except that it is played in an entirely dark room.[19][20]

Donkey Donkey

Donkey Donkey (similar to the Pakistani Beech ki Billi)[21] is a game in which two players attempt to throw a ball to each other, while a player in the middle tries to catch it.[22]

Maram pitti

Maram Pitti (similar to Pakistan's Maran Kuttai)[21] is similar to dodgeball.[23]

Ball games

Seven stones

In the game of seven stones (known by several other names in various regions), one team throws a ball at a pile of stones and then attempts to rebuild the pile, while the other team tries to eliminate the first team's players by throwing the ball at them.[24][25]

Variations of tag
See also: Variations of tag
A kho-kho defender standing next to a pole while an opponent comes near to touch him.

Kabaddi

In kabaddi, an offensive player tries to enter the other team's half of the field, tag as many of their players as possible, and then return without being tackled to score points.[26]

Kho-kho

Kho-kho is a team sport that involves the offensive's teams players facing various restrictions while attempting to tag their opponents.[27]

Freeze tag

Freeze tag (also known as Baraf Paani in India and Pakistan, and as Borof Paani in Bangladesh) involves players becoming "frozen" in place when tagged by an opponent, but becoming unfrozen when tagged by a teammate.[28][29]

Atya-patya

In atya-patya (related to Dariabandha in Bangladesh), players attempt to advance up and down the field without being tagged by opponents.[30][31]

Langdi

In Langdi (also known as Langri Paala in Pakistan), players attempt to tag opponents while hopping on one foot.[32]

Blindfold used for Aankh Micholi.

Aankh micholi

Aankh micholi (similar to Bangladesh's Kanamachi) is a form of blindfolded tag.[18][33]

Kokla chappaki

This game (similar to Rumal Chor and Bengal's Rumal Churi) is similar to duck, duck, goose.[34][35][36][37]

Oonch Neech
Main article: Oonch Neech
See also: River or mountain (game)

Board games

Snakes and ladders
Main article: Snakes and ladders

Carrom
Main article: Carrom

See also

References
  1. "OCA » Ancient tag game of kho kho catching on fast". ocasia.org. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  2. Kabaddi: How to play India’s 4000-year-old indigenous sport Olympics.com
  3. Kho Kho, a kabaddi-like sport linked with Indian epic Mahabharata – know all about it Olympics.com
  4. Arasu, S. T. (4 July 2020). "Galah Panjang and its Indian roots". On the sport. Be part of it. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  5. A Historical Study of the Origin and Features of Some Selected Folk Games in North Bengal Badal Roy https://ir.nbu.ac.in/
  6. Disappearance of Traditional games by the imitation of Colonial Culture through the Historical parameters of Cultural Colonialism Md Abu Nasim https://dergipark.org.tr/
  7. Games and Sports in West Bengal under Global Urbanization: An Ethnographic Approach Dr. Abhijit Das http://www.ijhssi.org/
  8. Bengal Traditional Games and Sports Culture Around in Twentieth-Century North Bengal Badal Roy & Dr. Sudash Lamahttps://ir.nbu.ac.in/
  9. Pant, Charu (16 August 2015). "Five Indian Origin Games on the verge of extinction – Sports". Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  10. TRADITIONAL GAMES AND SPORTS Siben Paul http://oldror.lbp.world/
  11. Folk Games Dying in Pashtun Belt: A Combination of Religious Extremism Confining Girls to Their Homes and Urbanisation Providing New Options nayadaur.tv
  12. India's defeat reflects Kabaddi's globalisation: Coach Reddy https://www.business-standard.com/
  13. "Format, game tweaks have helped draw fans on TV: Ultimate kho kho CEO". Hindustan Times. 3 September 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  14. 856. "Gilli Danda or Guli Dunda (India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan) – Traditional Sports". www.traditionalsports.org. Retrieved 17 November 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. "Imaginative games: Cheap shot". The Express Tribune. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  16. Folk Games Dying in Pashtun Belt: A Combination of Religious Extremism Confining Girls to Their Homes and Urbanisation Providing New Options
  17. Ali, Salma Mohammad (4 September 2014). "PLAYTIME". The Daily Star. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  18. Kazi, Saad (14 June 2018). "Top 24 Most Popular Traditional Indian Games Gen Z Must Try". Voice of Indian Sports – KreedOn. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  19. "If These 27 Childhood Games Were In The Olympics, We'd All Win Gold". ScoopWhoop. 24 October 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  20. "11 childhood games today's kids are unlikely to play". The Express Tribune. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  21. Cheema, Minahil (2 August 2015). "15 of the Greatest Games All Pakistanis Grew Up Playing". MangoBaaz. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  22. Agarwal, Stuti. "The games we played – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  23. Albert, Renin Wilben. "IPL 2021: [Watch] KKR players have a ball while enjoying a game of 'Maram Pitti'". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  24. Enos, Jayaseelan (14 August 2012). "Seven Stones: A Traditional Game in India". Compassion International Blog. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  25. "Traditional Games of Pakistan – Muhammad Awais – Youlin Magazine". www.youlinmagazine.com. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  26. https://olympics.com/en/news/kabaddi-rules-regulations-how-to-play
  27. https://olympics.com/en/news/kho-kho-history-rules-how-to-play
  28. "11 childhood games today's kids are unlikely to play". The Express Tribune. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  29. Iqbal, Faisal Bin (31 January 2019). "CHIGALYMPICS". The Daily Star. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  30. "Atya patya is set to make a comeback, News – City – Pune Mirror,Pune Mirror". 2 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  31. Traditional games of Bangladesh
  32. Mughal, Owais (21 May 2011). "The Official Rules of langRi paala". All Things Pakistan. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  33. "RisingStars". archive.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  34. Sariya, Tasneem (10 February 2021). "Top 10 Traditional Games of India that Defined Childhood for Generations". Caleidoscope | Indian Culture, Heritage. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  35. "Some traditional games of subcontinent that we once loved – Sports – Dunya News". dunyanews.tv. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  36. Agarwal, Stuti. "The games we played – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  37. Traditional Sports and Games Culture Around West Bengal noveltyjournals.com
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