Traditional board games workshop at Davanagere

A resurrection of interest in traditional board games was clearly evident at the Summer Camp organised by the Wiz Kids Academy of Davanagere. On invitation by Wiz Kids Academy, volunteers of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP)  taught about 12 traditional board games in a special three-day workshop from the afternoon of April 11 to the morning of April 14, 2015.

The thirty odd boys and girls had a rollicking time of their lives when they learnt board games from RKP Resource Persons comprising of R.G. Singh, Raghu Dharmendra, Dr. Dileep Kumar Gowda C.R. and artist Manish Verma.

Introductory talk by R.G. Singh and Dr. Dileep Kumar Gowda

The traditional board games like  Adu Huli Ata, Chaduranga, Aligulimane, Anay Kattu, Pagade, 16 Sepoys, Dash-guti  and several others were introduced to the wide-eyed kids many of whom were more at home with a hand-held mobile game than with a game whose playing surface was an intricate piece of embroidered cloth, colorful markers and wooden dice.

Two girls were interested to learn the complex hunt game - Anay Kattu

The rules of each game were explained patiently by RKP resource-persons. Many trial games were played to make sure the kids understood  the rules. Once the rules were grasped then it was a joyful free-for-all as small groups formed and reforms  before the games began.

Tiny tots engrossed in play

Perhaps it was the thin veneer of civilization of the kids that prevented major mayhem as they rolled dice, moved pawns, while others with some nifty strategy moved the sheep from the clutches of the tiger. Or Aligulimane where some kids seemed to show an extraordinary dexterity and mathematical ability.

Red guy is losing for sure in the game of Sixteen Sepoys

Hours later, the kids tired from the all the excitement of playing several games whose history goes back to an ancient past, finally called it a day, the minds were still on the game and all they could talk of was how they could have beaten their opponent if only they had only worked out one more permutation and combination then they would have had all three tigers pinned by a phalanx of goats.

Raghu Dharmendra and Dr. Dileep Kumar teaching the game of Four Handed Chaduranga

It was heartening to note that many of the kids claimed vociferously, as only kids will do, that they would play all the games that they had learnt here at the workshop in their homes  and that they would teach their parents and other siblings.