Pachisi (also known as Ludo), is a game that originated in medieval India. Played on a board shaped like a symmetrical cross, the rules involve moving the players’ pieces move around the board, based upon a throw of six or seven cowrie shells. The number of shells resting with their aperture turned upwards indicate the number of spaces to move. […]
Mallakhamba or mallakhamb is like a cross between gymnastics and yoga postures, performed with vertical or hanging wooden pole, or rope. The name of this sport is derived from the words ‘malla’, which means ‘wrestler’ and ‘khamb’, which means ‘pole’, as the pole was typically used by wrestlers as a training tool to improve their flexibility, strength and agility. […]
Langdi Taang is a traditional Indian sport that is similar to hopscotch. It is a team sport played between two sides, with 12 players a side, and three extra players. A match lasts 36 minutes, and is played in four innings of nine minutes each. The team that wins the toss defends. The chasing team sends chasers who hop on one foot and try to tag the defenders. The chasers can step out of the ground as long as they keep on one foot. The defenders are declared out if they step out of the ground or commit a line fault. The team that tags most defenders is declared the winner. […]
Gilli Danda is a game played mostly in rural areas. It is said to have originated in India around 2,500 years ago. The game is played with two sticks: a large one called a danda, which is used to hit a smaller one called the gilli. It is also known as ‘Tipcat’ (in English). […]
Goli or kancha is a popular outdoor game played with a set of coloured glass marbles. The objective of the game is to use one’s own marble and ‘capture’ as many other pieces as possible. The player with the most number of marbles by the end of the game is the winner. In some cases, the other players have to surrender their own marbles to the winner. […]
This game of hopscotch is also known as Nondi in Tamil Nadu, Tokkudu Billa or Tangidi Billa in Andhra Pradesh and Kunte Bille in Karnataka. While no one knows of its exact origin, it is believed to have existed in early centuries, and is said to have been mentioned in ancient Tamil literature.
The game needs only a relatively even surface, and a flat stone. It can technically be played by one person alone, but is more fun when played in a group. […]
Kho-Kho, a popular traditional sport of India, is based on the format of running and catching. The game is said to have originated in Maharashtra. In ancient times, the game was played on ‘raths’ or chariots, and was thus also known as Rathera. […]
Known as pallanguzhi in Tamil, ali guli mane in Kannada, vamana guntalu in Telugu and kuzhipara in Malayalam – this ancient South Indian game is played by two people at one time. They sit on either side of a wooden board that has 14 pits (2 rows and 7 columns) and play with shells, tamarind seeds or small pebbles. […]
