DIY BOARD GAME

Today I want to share with you an interesting board game played in Southern India and by the people of Srilanka and Singapore. It is called pallankuzhi. On translation it simply means 14 pits (padinal -14  kuzhi-pits)


This game was widely  played by women folks before the advent of television and the internet. It improves your ability of mental mathematics and motor skills too.This traditional game board was generally made in wood or stone in olden times and came in various shapes. It has 14 pits, played by two players at a time, each having 7 pits to his name and a bank pit for each player. Generally tamarind seeds, seeds of a plant called manjari or cowrie shells were used.

 It was a great time pass when women folk gathered around festival times. Also during Sivaraatri when they had to fast and keep themselves awake the entire night.

You can get more information about this game in wikipedia

I remember myself playing this amazing game as a kid in my uncle's house with my cousins.The game was so popular and addictive that even the elders joined in the fun. Now we have so many other ways to pass our time yet such traditional games still carry their own charm. Very recently I was discussing this with my maternal uncle and never knew that he would take the next possible opportunity to gift me this board. My grandmother's house is being renovated and my uncle made sure that the carpenter carved one pallankuzhi from the wood of one of the trees back home in Kerala.

This is the one am talking about.

Pallankuzhi

Isn't it wonderful? A lovely one in the shape of a fish. since the time it arrived, have been itching to paint it pretty. since it is in fish shape, painted some more fish motifs on it.

So for the next 2-3 days my dining table was in a mess. Every now and then, I would sit with the fish to add a dot & a line there.

In making

Taking shape

Almost done

Now for the final look...

How does it look?

I have placed it in my foyer area and every time my son passes that way, he is sure to try a hand at it. Picking up manjari seeds, dropping them in the other pits... yes irresistible it is! There are days when he cannot make it to the park in the evening time, these days we play this fun game.

Have you ever played such traditional games as a child? Share with me and we can reminisce in the memory together.