Move over Xbox 360 and PlayStations! Anjana Vaswani scans Mumbai's stores to find you 9 traditional indoor games that will get you excited about winning a round, all over again
Move over Xbox 360 and PlayStations! Anjana Vaswani scans Mumbai's stores to find you 9 traditional indoor games that will get you excited about winning a round, all over again
Vagh aur Bakri
Stones, betel nuts or marbles traditionally formed the tokens in this game. "Tigers and Goats" is a board game that involves a battle between the animals, so, while tigers can eat the goats, the goats can block a tiger's route.
At: Dhoop, 101 Khar Sheetal Apartments, 1st floor, Dr Ambedkar Road, Union Park, Khar (W).
Call: 26498646
For: Rs 1,450
Noughts and Crosses
Also called Tic-Tac-Toe, this game is believed to have originated in the UK, but this two-player game has also been traced back to ancient Rome. The first person to complete a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row, wins.
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At: Avante, Cottage Crafts of India, Shop No. 12, Indian Mercantile Mansions, Wodehouse Road, opposite Regal Cinema. Call: 22020873
For: Rs 240
Darts
Some historians believe that the game of darts may have originated
in Medieval England when soldiers shortened arrows and aimed them at empty barrels for practice or recreational purposes.
At: Caxton Sports, 4 A, Kapadia Chambers, near Metro Cinema.
Call: 22052935
For: Rs 275 (cork dart board),
Rs 70 (set of 3 darts)
Chess
It's believed to have originated in India, and was known as Chaturanga during the Gupta Empire. Around the 7th century, it came to be known as Shatranj. Its original name referred to the four divisions of the army: the cavalry, infantry, elephants and chariotry.
At: Mahad Joo & Sons, behind Taj Mahal Hotel, 4 Mereweather Road. Call: 22021403
For: Rs 2,500 (round version),
Rs 1,800 (mini square version)
Backgammon
The origin of Backgammon is uncertain, with some sources tracing its roots to ancient Egyptian variants and others linking it to similar games that were popular in ancient Iran and Rome. A roll of the dice determines the movement of the checkers across the board and the first one to remove all 15 of checkers wins the game.
At: Tohfa Handicrafts, 7 Kusum Terrace, opposite Electric House, Colaba Causeway.
Call: 9819284828
For: Rs 350
Pallanguzhi
Pallanguzhi is a gambling game that's popular in Southern India. The 2-player game involves a wooden tray with 7 cavities, and is played using cowrie-shells.
At: Dhoop
For: Rs 490
Dominoes
The oldest known Dominoes set was discovered among the ruins of Thebes in Tutankhamen's tomb, but the game is also believed to have Chinese origins. Although there are many variants, one basic 2-player version involves matching the spots on the open-end of the tile formation. The winner ("dominus" from the Latin word for "Lord") is the one who uses all 7 tiles he/she had drawn.
At: Avante.
For: Rs 400
Chaupad
It's believed to be the oldest Indian game and used to be immensely popular with Indian royals. It's played with rules that are similar to modern-day Ludo. Its name when translated means "four legs," and refers to the four protrusions of the game board.
At: Dhoop
For: Rs 450
Snakes and Ladders
Gyandev, the 13th century saint, has been credited as the inventor of Snakes and Ladders, which used to be known as Mokshpat but has many variants. Param padam is one such variant of the traditional Indian game. This one is a quaint hand embroidered fabric set.
At: Dhoop.
For: Rs 550
pics/Vishal Kelkar, Anjana Vaswani
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