TRADTIONAL GAMES IN RAJASTHAN INDIA

Buka Bhaona

People wearing traditional Assamese performing a unique “Mud Game”, traditionally known as “BUKA BHAONA” at the historic No-Ali Dhekiajuli in Jorhat, as a part of the celebration of Nanda Utsabh. ThisPeople wearing traditional Assamese performing in a unique “Mud Game”, traditionally known as “BUKA BHAONA” at the historic No-Ali Dhekiajuli in Jorhat, Assam as a part of the celebration of Nanda Utsabh on 13-09-09. This unique tradition being observed by the people during the celebration of the birth of hindu god Lord Krishna. During the event, devotees prepare a place of land with flower, milk, water until it became muddy and then they performing dance on that muddy land as a gesture of their love to lord Krishna.

 

Insuknawr Insuknawr or rod - pushing is an indigenous game of the state of Mizoram, played only by men. Insuknawr has been declared a ' Mizo National Game ' by the Mizoram State Sports Council. It is a test of sheer strength and stamina. The game is played within a circle with a diameter of 16 to 18 ft, and the only instrument used is a rounded wooden rod or pole, 8 ft long and 3 to 4 inches in diameter. The aim of the game is to push the opponent out of the circle within three to five rounds.

How the game is played

Before the game begins, each player holds the rod under his arm, as in the game of tug of war. The end of the rod should project for at least four inches under the armpit, and the centre of the rod must align with the centre of the circle.

A round is considered as drawn if no player is pushed out of the circle within 60 seconds. If all three rounds are drawn, a tie - breaker is declared, without any time limit, until a player is pushed out. In this contest, each player tries to push his opponent out of the ring, through the back or the side of the circle. If a player falls to the ground, he is declared to be the loser. Should the end of the rod touch the ground, negative points are awarded. Negative points help determine the winner in a drawn game, at times.

No player is to throw his opponent off balance by pulling the latter's rod. An expert player can skid or slide around within the circle, but the game or round is not won until a player is successfully pushed out.

Shatranj or Chess Chess is perhaps India's oldest and most loved board indoor game. Chess was born in India and has been played in India through centuries. It is revered as an indication of a man's intelligence and strategic capabilities. A chess set can be found in almost every Indian home. Many of India's folktales are littered with stories of kings and emperors and their chess games. In fact, even the Mahabharata has a crucial episode which involves chess.

Chess is excellent for overall mental development. Many schools encourage children to pick up chess. Chess has a very positive effect on children and adults both.

Bambaram

Bambaram is yet another traditional game played in TamilNadu and Karnataka also known as Lattu in Urdu. Spinning Tops are used for fun experience in this game. The skill and interest in this game is reducing due to other interests taking priority and also due to unsafe nails along with bullying of younger, smaller, poorer kids. This game is 

Components of Bambaram:

Wooden Top (Coloring is optional - to make it interesting and attractive)

Pointed Nail for getting the center

String to get the starting spin (also used for lifting the spinning top)

How to Play:

Bambaram has very simple rules. All the players have to go at the same time for the ‘Goes’ – this is the ‘toss’ for the game. The ‘Goes’ process is – at the count of 1, 2, 3 all the players should wind their Bambarams with their ropes, unwind it on the ground to rotate and then pick it up with the rope as quickly as possible. The primary skill on this rely on shortest rope length usage and still make the bamabram to rotate on the ground allowing you to catch it back with the rope

Conditions for losing the toss:

The player who losses the Toss will keep their bambarams inside the circle drawn on the ground. The rest of the members will have a go at the bambarams inside the circle. The people who managed to finish the toss successfully try to spin their bambaram over the bambarams in the circle trying to break them and/or trying to getting them out of the circle. Each time the spinning bambaram has to be picked up successfully to continue.

ARCHERY

Archery is basically a tribal game of India. The main rules of this game have been given by the archery.In this game the bow and arrow are made of wood or cane. In this competition the distance is specified for the particular age groups: Senior group –18 years and above 50meters / 30meters distance. Junior group - above 14 years to 18 years, 40 meters / 30 meters distance. Sub junior group – below 14 years, 30 meters / 20 meters distance.

A team of four archers compete in one team. The competition starts with individual contestant. Each contestant shoots 36 arrows at the bull's eye (Target face). Contestant has to shoot 3 arrows every 2mins. In all 36 arrows are shot from 112 ends. At a long distance, the target face (bull's eye) is 122cms in diameter. At a short distance a bull's eye (target face) is 80cms. One arrow shot can score maximum 10 marks out of 360 maximum marks for 36 shots. Three targets are placed at a distance of 5 meters from each other. One target can be used by 4 competitors consequently using arrows tagged with different colors or marked a, b, c, d.

During team contests, the best three archers are selected and their marks are computed team wise. The highest scoring team is declared the winner. In individual contests the maximum scorer out of 360 marks are declared 1st, 2nd and 3rd. For overall individual championship, the archer's performance from both distances is considered. The highest scorer of the aggregate marks of both distances is declared the Champion of Champions.

(SITOLIA)

Sitolia is a traditional game of Rajasthan and Gujarat is played between two teams in circular field consisting of 7 players each. On winning the toss of the coin, the winner chooses to field or to play. Sitolia the 7 round flat stones pilling up on each other is played with ball made of cloth or sponge or rubber. The playing teams depute one of its members to dash the piled 7 stones using the ball from the marked line.  One member gets 3 throws to dash the pile.

The fielding team puts one member diagonally opposite on the other side of the pile. When the player throws the ball and after it has bounced, if any of the fielders catch the ball; the player is out and the next one is given the chance.

On hitting the Sitolia pile if some of the stones fall & one of the members of the playing team pileup the stones announcing loudly 'Sitolia', this team gets one point. The player which got out of this team gets a life again. The team has to announce 'Sitolia' essentially to get a point. If any of the team members is hit by the ball before announcement of Sitolia, the struck player is out of the game and the team gains no point. After the 'Sitolia' is dashed and the ball has taken a bounce on the ground & then caught by the fielding team member, then the throwing player is not out but if the fielding team catches the ball before it bounces on the ground, whole playing team is declared out. The fielding team is Jubilant. The team which scores more point will be declared winner. The fielding team has to hit one of the playing team members within 3 minutes from dashing of the Sitolia pile to make him out.

CHANGA PO

Changa Po is the game of rural area of Rajasthan and Gujarat. This game has four players. In this game four different color stones are used. This is played with four kodi or Imli chiya. [tamarind seed parts]. The four chiyo or kodi open on their upper side. This is called Changa (four). When the four chiya open on their back side then this is called Ashta (eight). This game can be played by single or multiple players. In this game, till the Po comes the player cannot start his/her goti. (stone).

If one kodi or chiya out of four falls upside down, it is called Po. When one player is able to kill/eat the goti of the other player it is called Tod. The player can now enter his goti/stone in to the house only after the Tod. The player whose all four goties/stones enter the house is the winner of the game. The goti which is sitting on the crossed part of the game cannot beaten.

MARBLES

 Marbles is commonly played in Rajasthan and Goa. In Goa it  is known as Goddean. This game is played with marbles made of glass. In this game, two or more than two players can play.

This game is played in three ways by Gichi,. Gola, Chaukhat. Gichi: In this game the player throws the marble seven steps away from the Gichi towards the Gichi or inside it. The player gets all the marbles which collect/fall into the Gichi. Now the player takes a hit at the marble pointed by the opponent. In case of the thrown marble hits the right marble the player takes away the entire lot. In case of hitting the wrong marble the player has to add one extra marble to the entire lot and gets nothing.

Gola: In this game the marbles are kept in a circle. The player aims at the marble pointed out to him by the opponent. If the player is not able to hit this marble then as punishment he has to add one of his marble in the Gola. If the player hits right one then all the marbles in the Gola are his. If the player's marble remains inside the Gola then he gets punished for it.

Chaukhat: In this game the player has to take out as many marbles as he can with one finger, from the circle. The player gets these marbles. If his marble (this is called Anta) gets left in the Gola then he is punished for it. Anta is bigger then the marbles.

(GILLI  DANDA)

Gilli Danda is a popular rural game of India. Gilli Danda is played in the open field. The 2 contesting teams have five players each. The length of gilli is 10cms and that of Danda is 1.5ft. Gilli is thick in the middle and conically tapering in its two ends. Guchhi or a whole of gilli's length tapering on the both sides is dug in the ground. The gilli is placed on the end of this and is thrown into the air forming a trajectory to reach farthest point. If the gilli is caught by the fielding team member before it falls on the ground, the player is declared out.

The Danda [the battan] laying next to Guchhi [the through whole] has to be hit with gilli by the opponent team in one throw from the end where the gilli stopped when thrown by the playing member. If the Danda is hit by the gilli, the playing member is out. In case of gilli not hitting Danda\Battan, the playing member hits the end of the gilli which when rising above the ground is hit with the Danda to the farthest distance from the Guchhi (the through whole). If the gilli is not struck at the first attempt the player is declared out. In case of gilli hit by the Battan , the player gets two more hits. If the hit gilli in the air is caught by a member of the opponent team, the player is declared out. In case the gilli is not caught, the playing member will anounce the number of Danda\Battan length between the Guchhi and the location of gilli. The opponent team may agree to give the number to the player or may choose to count the distance. If the distance is less than the number of Danda lengths he has declared, the player is out. If the distance is more or equal to the announced length, this figure is added to the account of the playing member. The player keeps playing the game till he is out. The rest of the members of his team play one after the other in similar fashion. On whole team getting out, the second team gets a chance to play. The team scoring more points will be declared winner. 

Rajasthani Folk Dances

Gair Ghoomar:
 This is one of the many dance-forms of the Bhill tribals. Performed during Holi festival, this is among a few performances where both men and women dance together.
Another Holi dance but performed only by men. This becomes Dandia Gair in Jodhpur and Geendad in Shekhawati.
Agni Nritya (Fire   Dance):   
Now performed by just a few bhopas in Bikaner district, this ritual is associated with members, of the jasnath sect from the Sidh caste. The ritual fire dance is enacted during the jasnath  fairs  or on  special demand to  cast away negative energy   from someone's house.  Dressed in white clothes and saffron colored turbans, the ritual starts with slow chanting by the priests to the rhythmic beat of the nagara : (large   sigle-sided  drum) and striking   of manjiras  Wnhile this is going on a pyre of wood is constructed and lit. As the wood burns to embers, the tempo of chanting land drumming is increased to produce a state of religious fervor. Once the wood is reduced to glowing red embers, the priests form a line and start to dance across the burning coals. Treating the embers as blessed gifts (prasaad) from their God, some hold embers in the mouth and offer them to the spectators.
Garasiya Dance: 
From the extreme south of Rajasthan, and known for one of the most colorful visually thrilling dances forms of the region, the Garasiya's are the tribal community spread across some twenty four villages near Abu Road. The distinctive dance is performed after Holi in celebration of their folk Kul Devi. Without vocal accompaniment, it has strong rhythm, and is danced by both men and women dressed in traditional ornaments, clothes and masks.
Ghoomar: 
Ghoomar has become known as the single most representative dance of Rajasthan. The embodiment of the grace, elegance and beauty associated with the women of this region, the dancers move, spin and sway a single, circular file in time to an eight-beat keharwa, accompanied by a song. Spinning alternately in clockwise and anticlockwise direction, the momenta increases as the dance develops and often culminates in the dancers separating from the circle into pairs, taking each others hands and spinning as fast as they can in the way children enjoy. Eleven variations of Ghoomar have been documented in the past. Ghoomar as seen today is mostly a sophisticated form evolved for and by the women of the "Rajwaaras" or erstwhile seats of feudal power and now danced at weddings by middle and upper class women.
Chakri : 
The word "Chakri" is derived from 'chakkar'-rotation in Hindi-is actually the Raai dance of the Beriyas of Madhya Pradesh, also performed in the adjoining areas of Chhipa Barod etc. Of district Baran, Rajasthan, by their kin, the Kanjras. The dance involves much vigorous but elementary movement and intermittent singing supported by robust rhythmic accompaniment on the Dholak by a male performer.
Chang Dhamal: 
Danced by men only, the group forms a single circular file, each man carrying a Dhap or chang (a single-sided large tambourine - like drum), excepting those who dress in female attire, and one who plays the flute. The dancers sing and rhythmically crouch, Walk and strike various poses with their instrument. The singing stops for a while, the flute player plays his instrument, and the Chang provide rhythm. Then the round of singing and movement is resumed.

Kathputli: 
Puppet plays based on popular legends are performed by skilled puppeteers. Displaying his skills in making the puppets' act and dance, the puppeteer is accompanied by a woman, usually his wife, who plays the dholak, or drum and sings the balled.

Kumbhalgarh, "Eye of Mewar"

Kumbhalgarh Fort- A colossal Bastion 

This fort of the Mewar dynasty was named after Rana Kumbha who ruled the territory from Chittor and founded this site in 1458. The fort is one of the 84 bastions built to defend Mewar, out of which Rana Kumbha built 32.The fort of Kumbhalgarh stands a proud sentinel on a craggy mountain along with its consorts, the splendid palaces, near the village of Kailwara and is strategically placed on the northern point of the Aravalli Hills. After Chittaurgarh it was the second most important bastion of Mewar and covers an area of 12sq km. The fort lies 1100m above sea level and thus has a commanding view of the wild and rugged landscape of the Aravallis and the sandy deserts of Marwar. Defended by a series of walls with battlements and bastions, the fort was built by Rana Kumbha in 1458AD on the slope of a hill. The maharanas of Mewar always took shelter here when Udaipur and Chittor became unsafe. 

Fort- A Firm Witness of the Past 

The Kumbhalgarh fort also has great significance by being the birthplace of Maharana Pratap and as the finest examples of defensive fortification in Rajasthan. This fort also saw the murder of Rana Kumbha near Jhali Bao at the hand of his son Udai Singh I. The approach to the fort is pretty impressive, across deep ravines and through thick jungles. This forest forms a part of the nearby Kumbhalgarh WildlifeSanctuary 

The Fort Poles or Gateways

The palaces inside the fort can be approached only through any one of the seven gates of the fort. Seven ramparts one within the other is further reinforced by rounded bastions and massive watchtowers. Mirror signals could be sent from Arait Pol, the first gate, in times of emergency. Hulla Pol or the Gate of Disturbance. The gate is so named because in 1567 the attacking Mughal army had reached this spot which resulted in a great commotion by both parties. The marks of cannon shots can still be seen on the gate. Hanuman Pol one and a half kilometers from the second gate is the third gate and has a temple and a shrine dedicated to the Monkey God Hanuman. It also houses the image of Rana Kumbha, said to have brought back from Mandore in Marwar (now Jodhpur). The Bhairava Pol is next and it has a panel The Colossal 

Fort Fell In The Hands of Mughals 

Even after such immaculate security arrangements the fort once fell to the Mughal army of Akbar but not because of any lapse from the security point. The mishap happened because the enemy forces had contaminated the fort's water supply. This fort has always faithfully served as the refuge for the Mewar rulers in times of emergency. The fort with its palaces, temples, field and farms and water resources is fully equipped to defend itself against a long siege. Just beside the fort is an ancient castle of Samprati, the Jain prince during the 2nd century BC. 

Badal Mahal-A Fort Palace 

The exterior walls of the fort cover an area of several square miles. The rows of the inner bastion rise to the summit to be crowned by the Badal Mahal or the Cloud Palace of the Ranas built by Rana Fateh Singh in the late 19th century. This palace has several apartments furnished in pastel colours in the 19th century style. The views from the Badal Mahal across the deserts of Marwar are simply fabulous. Long serpentine lines of the fort walls with loopholed and crenellated parapets seem to disappear in the surrounding jungles and ravines. 

Temple Attractions 

Main temples in the fort complex are Nilkanth Mahadev, Vedi, Mammadev temple and Kumbhaswami. Nilkanth Mahadev is much older than the other buildings and has a unique design of slender fluted pillars. Another unusual feature of the temple lies in the fact that such high pillared temples are pretty rare in Rajasthan. A few historians claim that it may not to be earlier than 2nd century BC. Apparently Rana Kumbha built the temple for his daily worship. 

Vedi Temple 

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Vediis located just near the Hanuman Gate of the fort. A sacrificial temple, this was also built by Rana Kumbha and is a three storeyed Jain temple. The structure was later renovated by Maharana Fateh Singh and is also the only remnant to have survived of all the ancient sacrificial places of India.

Mammadev Temple & The Kund 

Mammadev temple and the kund were again built by Rana Kumbha in the year 1460. The temple stands exactly below the fort and once had four large slabs with several inscriptions on them. The writings gave the history of Mewar from the time of Guhil, the founder of Mewar dynasty, till Rana Kumbha, a great builder of forts and temples. The slabs are now preserved in the museum at Udaipur. The temple houses an image of Kuber (God of Wealth) and also has two chhatris (cenotaphs) in memory of Rana Kumbha and the famous warrior Prithviraj Chauhana. Very near the temple is a large kund or reservoir close to which is the chhatri cenotaph) of Prithvi Rajthe knight-errant of Mewar. 

Royal Chhatris 

East of these Jain temples are two royal chhatris and a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali. One of the chhatris (cenotaph) belongs to Rana Kumbha, murdered in this fort and the other to Prithviraj, his grandson. 

Kartargarh Fort in The Fort Premises 

The most interesting part is that Kumbhalgarh fort has a fort within itself. Named Kartargarh, the inner fort has a palace built by Maharana Fateh Singh after he had pulled down the old palace built by Rana Kumbha. Some remains of the old palace are still there below the new one and which includes the portion that had been occupied by Prithvi Raj. Kartargarh has 365 temples and shrines including one with a huge Shiv Linga dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

Jain Temples 

Besides all these there are three old Jain Temples including Bavan Deola and Golera Jain temple. The former has 52 rooms and is of the same date as that of the Kumbhalgarh fort. The Golera Jain temple is beautifully carved and once housed an intricately carved small brass image of a Jain saint. The third temple contains a Jain idol in white marble and is said to have been installed in 1551AD.