Long before cricket, hockey and tennis became the rage in India, our elders would play simple, gully games in their childhood. These games were low on investment and high on fun. They are also known to improve eye-hand coordination, counting ability, and strategy skills. This week, Open Sesame curates fun games from the past. These are ideal for the 9-16 age group.
Gilli Danda
Gilli Danda is an ancient sport of the Indian sub-continent although popular in villages. It is played with two sticks — the short one is called ‘gilli’ and the longer one is ‘danda’. The gilli is placed on the ground, which the batsman needs to strike till it takes off in the air. Once airborne, the batsman has to hit it as far as possible. Scoring is done in multiple ways to decide on the winner.
Lagori
It involves a ball, seven flat stones and two teams. That’s why the game is also called seven stones. To start, the stones are piled up and a striker hits it down by throwing a ball. The fellow teammates must repile the stones while the opposing team is out to eliminate them. If the opponents hit a player with the ball, he/she/they will be ‘out’.
Ali Guli Mane
It is also known by names like Chenne Mane and Satkoli. It is a two-player strategy board game. The board comes with 14 holes arranged in two rows, 70 beads, and a dice. At the start of the game, five beads are placed in each hole. To win the game, one has to ‘capture’ the most number of beads.
Goli
This is a popular pastime in rural India, and also goes by the name of ‘Kancha’. The good part? There is no limit on the number of players. Glass marbles are gathered in a ring marked on the ground. A player hits these marbles to start the game. The players then take turns to hit and pocket marbles dislodged from the ring.
Pagade
Also known as Pachisi, Chausar, and Sokkattan, it is the national board game of India. It is played on a board, which is often a piece of cloth, using 16 pawns, and two stick dice. The goal is to get four pawns ‘home’ the fastest.