Inauguration of Kreedaa Kaushalya 2026

Smt. Harinita Singh welcomes Smt. Shubha Sanjay Urs

Smt. Preeti Singh welcomes Dr. Manik Bengeri

Smt. Harinita Singh welcomes Sri Ganesh Shivaswamy

Sri Raghu Dharmendra welcomes Sri Girija Shankar Sundareshan

Smt. Preeti Singh welcomes Sri Vinay Rajkumar

Sri Vinay Rajkumar inaugurates 11th edition of Ramsons Kreedaa Kaushalya by lighting the lamp

Sri Ganesh Shivaswamy unveils the newly introduced gameboard of Patra Gattam

Guests displaying new game boards that were unveiled

Smt. Shubha Sanjay Urs releasing the new edition of the book - Traditional Indian Boardgames

Sri Vinay Rajkumar felicitates artist Sri Manish Verma

Sri Vinay Rajkumar felicitates Sri Srikanth Sharma of Mysuru Puppet Theatre

Sri Vinay Rajkumar felicitates Dr. Manik Bengeri

Sri Vinay Rajkumar  addressing the gathering

Sri Vinay Rajkumar presents Sri Ganesh Shivaswamy with a memento

Sri Ganesh Shivaswamy  addressing the gathering

Smt. Shubha Sanjay Urs addressing the gathering

RKP Chairman R. Ajay Kumar Singh presenting the memento to Sri Vinay Rajkumar

Sri Vinay Rajkumar interacting with artist Sri K.S. Shreehari

Chief Guests of Kreedaa Kaushalya 2026

Invitation and Brochure of Kreedaa Kaushalya 2026

Temples in India have long been considered to be 'spiritual doorways.' Oneness with the deity, realisation of the self, the aura and spell cast by ancient chants, the rhythmic waving of sacred lamps imbue temples with a sanctity that goes beyond rational explanation. The temple was the fulcrum that balanced the secular and the sacred. It was the glue that held the social, cultural and religious fabric of society together. For millennia, temples provided man with essential distraction from routine daily life. Evidences of such playful recreations are the geometric diagrams etched on stone (petroglyphs) flooring slabs depicting various board games. Temples were congregational centres and continue to be so. Amidst an atmosphere of devotion and learning, temple precincts also served as rest-houses for travellers and pilgrims. In these precincts were mantapas or raised platforms around the sacred tree or the temple tank which may even be a temple well. These often served as shelters for travellers. One such ancient stone mantapa stands majestically at the foot of the Chamundi Hills in Mysore. The very first of the 1000 steps leading to the top of the hill starts underneath a mantapa. On the stone plinth of the mantapa are deeply gouged diagrams of the traditional hunt game, 'Adu Huli' (Goats and Tigers). There is also a gouged out diagram of the game 'Sixteen Sepoys.' The climb up the 1000 stone steps can be gruelling. The steps culminate at the summit of the hill close to the entrance to the temple of the goddess Chamundeshwari. Pause a while at the Mahadwara (grand entrance-way) and also at the inner gateway, if you observe right there on the stone plinth within these gateways are the following games gouged into the stone: two games of Aadu Huli and one each of 'Sixteen Sepoys' and 'Nakshatra Aata.' Behind the Chamundeshwari temple on the Chamundi Hill is the even older Mahabale shwara temple. On the entrance porch of this temple, lot of boardgame patterns can be seen. Through regular visits to several temples across the country our team was able to pinpoint the likeliest places where board games could be found. We discovered that evidence of board games tend to occur in such places that are easily accessible, provide a shady rest and are usually on an elevated platform. For instance, in the open spaces near the 'Garudagamba' (temple mast) or the temple well. Another space could be the area near the Homa Kunda, the Hindu sacrificial altar. Ritualistic pujas at temples take several hours and it is more than possible that some bored participants may have settled down to an impromptu game. Game patterns will certainly be seen at many of these 'homa' platforms and nearby cozy corners which are ideal places for people to sit. Apart from temples there are other common public places where game patterns are found. For instance at the bathing ghats (Tulsi ghat) in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), we came across the game of Nau Keti Keta. On a recent visit to the Jalakanteshwara temple within the Vellore fort we discovered a petroglyph of Navakankari. 8x8 square grid pattern was found at the Bhuvaraha temple at Srimushnam. The Tillai Natarajar temple at Chidambaram has umpteen number of game board patterns everywhere; we were fascinated with a small version of Pagaday over there. The mega temple at Tiruvannamalai hosts innumerable game patterns. Here are some sample images of petroglyphs across the Indian sub-continent, which we have photographed in the last 25 years. These reflect the passion of a people in whose memories lies an ancient civilization. In this 11th edition of Ramsons Kreedaa Kaushalya we have brought some more new games in new crafts along with all the earlier popular ones. Come, explore and experience the medieval pastimes which are relevant even today.

Look out for the Eleventh Edition of Kreedaa Kaushalya 2026

Nandi and Bhringi playing Chaukabara. Artist Jagadish M. Kamble

The eleventh edition of biennial exhibition of traditional boardgames of India - Kreedaa Kaushalya - is scheduled to be inaugurated on 3rd April 2026, Friday at 6.00 pm at Ramsons Bombe Mane, Nazarbad, Mysore. 

An exclusive showroom, one and only in India and first of its kind will be inaugurated on the same day. It will feature boardgames in a variety of craft forms like wood, cloth, metal and woven fabrics. It will also have a section of children toys educational objects which are crafted in wood.

The second edition of the popular publication 'Indian Traditional Boardgames A Guide to the Art of Play' co-authored by the team of researchers at Ramsons Kala Pratishtana will be released.

As is the norm, a new boardgame will be added to the repertoire of existing games and a new boardgame in a new craft form will also be introduced at this expo. Mark the dates and visit the exhibition for a unique journey into the varied craft traditions of India. 

The expo will be open from 4th April to 31st May 2026. 10 am to 7 pm.

An exclusive gaming parlour to play and learn the varied games numbering about 27 will be open between 4 pm to 7 pm with experienced gamers as instructors. 

Entry is free and open for public.

Come, join us for an unbelievable visual and hands-on experience of a lifetime.

New Games and Crafts at Kreedaa Kaushalya 2024

 Colourful bits of cloth have been stitched to create vibrant artefacts like lamp shades, wall hangings, torans, etc., in the applique craft at Pipili, Odisha. RKP team visited Pipili and Puri in November 2022 and were mesmerised by this colourful craft which has several layers of In many house-holds of Uttarakhand, womenfolk weave traditional woollen mini carpets. This beautiful craft form is from the Himalayas. Chaukabara game boards have been created in this craft.  Daadu - played only by the Dawoodi Bohra community of Gujarat - has recently been documented. Crafted in Lambani embroidery along with Channapatna counters, this new game board is being introduced in this edition of the exhibition.

Kreedaa Kaushalya 2024 - Inauguration

Friday 17 May 2024 was a red letter day at Ramsons - it was inauguration of 10th edition of the exhibition of traditional boardgames of India, Kreedaa Kaushalya.

Chief guests being welcomed by traditional nadaswara

Chairman of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, R. Ajay Kumar Singh garlands Rajabahadur Khem Sawant Bhonsle VI of Sawantwadi royal family.

Ms. Preeti welcomes RanisahebShubhadadevi Khem Sawant Bhonsle of Sawantwadi royal family
with a beautiful bouquet of orchids.

Smt. R. Harintiha Singh garlands Ranisaheb .

Sri Rangoli Srikanth garlands artist Ganjifa Raghupati Bhat

Puppets of Mysuru Puppet Theatre welcome the dignitaries with a brief performance

Art Historian and designer Raghu Dharmendra explaining the display at the exhibition

Rajabahadur Khem Sawant Bhonsle VI and Ranesaheb Shubhadadevi Khem Sawant of Royal family of Sawantwadi inaugurated the 10th edition of Kreedaa Kaushalya by lighting the lamp.

Heralding novelty at Kreedaa Kaushalya

Rajabahadur Khem Sawant Bhonsle VI released the 5-house Chaukabara game board in the woolen mini pile carpet craft of Sarmoli, Uttarakahnd, Ranisaheb Shubhadadevi Khem Sawant released the 7-house Chaukabara in the applique craft of Pipili, Odisha and Ganjifa Raghupati Bhat released the newly introduced gameboard of Daadu in the Lambani embroidery craft.

Advisor of RKP, Raghu Dharmendra shows the gameboard of Aligulimane (Mancala) which he designed in the lost wax process of bonze casting.

On behalf of RKP, Smt. Prema Simha garlands Ranisaheb

On behalf of RKP, Smt. Bharati Madhukar presents a saree with a pallu design containing the Pagaday board game design, to Ranisaheb

Advisor of RKP, Sri L.P. Madhukar presents a shawl to Rajasaheb.

Trustee of RKP, Sri Rahul Singh garlands Rajasaheb.

Advisor of RKP, Sri Sachin presents a memento to Rajasaheb.

On behalf of RKP, Sri Santosh presents a shawl to Sri Bhat.

On behalf of RKP, Sri K.S. Shreehari garlands Sri Bhat.

On behalf of RKP, Sri Santosh presents a memento to Sri Bhat.

An impromptu game of Pagaday