Tamilnadu Ancient Games

Jallikattu - An ancient game in Tamil nadu

History of Jallikattu

The name Jallikatuu is famous in Madurai and Allanganallur. It is a very oldest ancient sports and festival in Tamil nadu and is from our beloved ancestors. This is also celebrated as Pongal festival in the above places. It is also known as Bull Fighting Game because the bulls are involved in this game. The men and Bulls are the competitors in this game. This Jallikattu game is famous to select the bridegrooms for the bride in older days. The person those who win the Bull fight will be selected as bridegroom by the brides. This festival is also termed as Manju Virattu.

Prizes and Awards in Jallikattu Game in Tamilnadu

The Bulls in Jallikattu game of this game are very energetic and bold. Many Bulls are coming to this game from all over the Tamil nadu every year. This game is mostly celebrated during the Pongal holidays(Jan 13,14,15,16) in Madurai,Allanganallur and other places of Tamil Nadu. The Kangayam Kaalai is a one type of Bull which mostly participating in this game. During this game, The Bull will be released from a small zone to the public place with anger and speed. Then The persons will try to control the bull and also try to bring them to under their control. once the bull comes under the control of such person, then the respective person will be declared as a winner. Some special awards and prizes in Jallikattu game will be given to that person. In Some places, The Prize money will be tied in the bull's horn. Then, It will be the Challenge to the players to take away the prize from bull's horn.

Rules and Regulations Jallikattu Game in Tamilnadu

The Bulls in Jallikattu Gameshould meet the terms and conditions of the Committee of this game. The participants will be allowed based on some restrictions. The players those who injured will be sent to hospital immediately. No Algol and drugs will be allowed in any mode in the gaming area.Judges decision is final.Many peoples are coming to the above places during Pongal Holidays to see this game.There are many other rules are formed by the Supreme Court to conduct this festival in order to save the human life. This is one of the dangerous game because many players are died and many of them are injured while controlling the Bulls.

Types and values of Bulls in Jallikattu game

There are many types of bulls like Kangayem,Jercy,etc will be brought by their owners to this festival during Pongal. The value of Kangayem Kalai will up to one lakh rupees. Some special type of foods will be given to make them very strengthen. The Government of Tamil nadu gives full security and protection to this game to avoid violence during that time.

When you think of heroic games in Tamilnadu the first one that strikes your memory is “SILAMBAM” A kind of martial art where your weapon is a long stick. Right from the SANGHA period the Tamil kings have patronized. Even in Thiruvilayadal Puranam there are mention about this game in it. One of the ancient medical journal Pathartha Sindhamani talks about its ability to heal ailments and also adds that regular practice makes one physically strong. Footwork is the hallmark of this game .

 Every step has its own name and significance to it. Many of the movements resemble those found in Bharatha Natyam dance. In the advance version of Silambam sharp weapons like knife, spear and many other arms also used. Even wars have been fought with warriors resorting to Silambam as the main form of combat.

There were no formal schools to teach Silambam. Only the traditional ‘Guru-Sisya Parambara’ method was followed whereby the teacher passed his knowledge to his disciple and this continued like a chain unbroken. Later there was an institute to teach Silambam was established at Vellore Fort and several others cropped in the Southern parts of Tamilnadu only to vanish due to lack of patronage. But even now no temple festival passes-off without the enthralling display of Silambam in its finer form.

Kabbadi - An Ancient game tougher than Rugby

Kabaddi is essentially an Indian game, which commands huge popularity in the India as well as its hinterland. In India, kabaddi is popular in different names. In the southern parts of India, the game is referred to as Chedugudu or Hu-Tu-Tu. In eastern India, it is fondly called Hadudu (for men) and Kit-Kit (for women). The game is known as Kabaddi in northern India. Breath control, raid, dodging and movement of hand and feet are the basic skills that one has to acquire, in order to play kabaddi. The player has to acquire power and learn both offensive and defensive skills to excel in the game, which combines the characteristics of rugby and wrestling. Read on to explore the history of kabaddi in India.

History of Kabaddi Game In India

Origin

There is a popular belief that Kabaddi originated in the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu. A folk history of the game tells that it developed from a game of tag between two young boys - the rule of holding one's breath being added later. The game is known by many names, all of Tamil origin: Kabaddi, Sadugudu, Gudugudu, Palinjadugudu and Sadugoodatthi. The word 'Kabaddi' could have originated from the Tamil words 'kai' (hand) and 'pidi' (catch).

The origin of kabaddi can be traced to the pre-historic times. In India, kabaddi was primarily devised as a way to develop the physical strength and speed in young men. During its inception, kabaddi was played to boost the self-defense skills and to develop quick responsiveness to attacks. It also sharpened the reflexes of counter attacks of the individuals, who mostly played in groups or teams. Kabaddi also finds place in Hindu mythology. The dramatized version of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata, has made an analogy of the game, wherein the warrior Arjuna's son Abhimanyu faces a tough time, when he is trapped in the 'Chakravyuha' set by his enemies of the War.

Kabaddi In Mythology

Historians suggest that some other ancient scripts have proved that kabaddi existed in the pre-historic times in India. In Mahabharata, Arjuna had a unique talent in the game of kabaddi. He could effortlessly sneak into the 'wall' of enemies, destroy them all and come back unscathed. As per the Buddhist literature, Gautam Buddha played kabaddi for recreational purposes. It says that he loved to play the game and took it as a means to exhibit his strength, which helped him to win his brides. It is quite evident from the manuscripts discovered by the historians that kabaddi was a much adored game in the ancient times.

Kabaddi In Modern India

In the modern times, kabaddi was given the national status of a game in India in 1918. The state of Maharashtra is accredited with upbringing the game to a national platform. Consequently, the standard set of rules and regulations for the game were formulated in the same year. However, the rules and regulations were brought to print only after a few years, in 1923. During the same year, an All India Tournament for kabaddi was organized at Baroda, wherein the players strictly followed the rules and regulations formulated for the game. Since then, the game has come a long way. Its popularity increased and a number of tournaments were organized at national level, throughout the country. The game was introduced at the 1938 Indian Olympic Games held at Calcutta, which fetched it international recognition.

The Game

The game of Kabaddi is played across the length and breadth of India. This popularity can be ascribed to the simplicity of the game and the fact that it requires no sophisticated equipment. Since Kabaddi is an Indian game, India has been at the forefront of promoting the game at the international stage. India played a pivotal role in laying down standard rules and procedures for Kabaddi in the 1950s. The Indian Amateur Kabaddi Federation president Janardhan Singh Gehlot was instrumental in establishing the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) in 2004 and he was elected the first president of IKF.

India's efforts to popularize Kabaddi has paid rich dividends as the country has won all the Asian Games gold medals, since the game was introduced in the 1990 Beijing Games. Talking about the techniques of the game, there are two teams that occupy the opposite halves of a field. In turns, one team sends a 'raider' into the other half, in order to win points. The raider, who goes inside has to touch any one of the teammates from the other team and immediately run back to his line, without even once letting off his breath during the whole raid and chanting the word "kabaddi". On the other hand, the members of the other team have to grab the raider down before he reaches his line.

Kabaddi is an Indian game which requires both power and skill for its play. It was known by various names in various places. For example, CHEDUGUDU OR HU-TU-TU in Southern parts of India, HADUDU (Men), CHU KIT-KIT (Women) in Eastern India and KABADDI in Northern India. It is a simple and inexpensive game and doesn't require a big playing area or any playing equipment Regular Kabaddi tournaments are held throughout the country.

Field of play

The play ground of the Kabaddi shall be level and soft preferably made of earth, manure and sawdust. The ground shall be 121/2 meters X 10 meters. For women and Juniors the measurement shall be 11metres X 8 meters. The mid line drawn divides the play ground into two courts. There shall be strip of one meter wide on each side of the playfield, which is called Lobby. In each half, at a distance of about 3 meters from the mid-line and parallel to it lines of the full width of ground shall be drawn. These are Baulk lines.

 

 

The Game of Snakes & Ladders

The game had its origin in India and was called Moksha Patam or Parama Padam or Mokshapat. It was used to teach Hindu Dharma and Hindu values to children. The British renamed it as Snakes and Ladders.
The game was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. Later through time, the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births. There are certain references which take the game back to 2^nd century BC.

Indian Snakes and Ladders game (1700’s AD)

In the original game square 12 was faith, 51 was Reliability, 57 was Generosity, 76 was Knowledge, and 78 was Asceticism. These were the squares were the ladder was found. Square 41 was for Disobedience, 44 for Arrogance, 49 for Vulgarity, 52 for Theft, 58 for Lying, 62 for Drunkenness, 69 for Debt, 84 for Anger, 92 for Greed, 95 for Pride, 73 for Murder and 99 for Lust. These were the squares were the snake was found. The Square 100 represented Nirvana or Moksha.
Also known as ‘paramapadam’, there are a hundred squares on a board; the ladders take you up, the snakes bring you down. The difference here is that the squares are illustrated. The top of the ladder depicts a God, or one of the various heavens (kailasa, vaikuntha, brahmaloka) and so on, while the bottom describes a good quality. Conversely, each snake’s head is a negative quality or an asura (demon). As the game progresses, the various karma and samskara, good deeds and bad, take you up and down the board. Interspersed are plants, people and animals.
The game serves a dual purpose: entertainment, as well as dos and don’ts, divine reward and punishment, ethical values and morality. The final goal leads to Vaikuntha or heaven, depicted by Vishnu surrounded by his devotees, or Kailasa with Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and Skanda, and their devotees. In this age of moral and ethical degeneration, this would be a good way of teaching values to children who think they already know more than their parents.
If paramapadam teaches moral values, pallankuli develops skill and quick thinking. Two players compete on a board consisting of between seven and twenty pits per player; each player has to collect the coins or shells or seeds with which the game is played, the player with the maximum number being the winner. There are nine variations of this game, each a ‘pandi’, with regional, caste and religious variations. It was very popular among women and required a good memory and alertness, as they had to count and remember the number of coins or seeds accumulated by the opponent.
The British took the game to England in 1892 and named it Snakes and Ladders and changed it according to Victorian values.

Dice

The dice is attributed to India by some accounts. Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of oblong dice have been found in Harrapan sites such as Kalibangan, Lothal, Ropar, Alamgirpur, Desalpur and surrounding territories, some dating back to the third millennium BCE, which were used for gambling. The oblong or cubical dice (akṣa) is the precursor of the more primitive vibhīṣaka—small, hard nuts drawn randomly to obtain factors of a certain integer. Dicing is believed to have later spread westwards to Persia, influencing Persian board games. Early references to dicing can be found in the Ṛig Veda as well as the newer atharvaveda.