Curiosity

Indoor games form an integral part of our pastime at home. During this period of social distancing, while we are spending quality time with our families, it's interesting to know that our most loved and favorite games, "Chess", "Snake & Ladder" and "Ludo", trace their origin back to ancient India.

India has a rich history of traditional games, played indoors and outdoors. These traditional Indian games were structurally designed to sharpen and develop a lot of skills like logical thinking, building strategy, concentration, basic mathematics, aiming, observational and calculation skills.

Chess - Chess is one of the most ancient games of India. It is interesting to note that there is an indication of board games similar to Chess in the archaeological sites of Indus Valley civilization. It is a complex and probably one of the best strategy games in the world. It was initially known as 'Ashtapada' (Sanskrit for "having eight feet", i.e. an 8×8 squared board).

Later in the 6th century AD during the rule of Gupta Empire it came to be called 'Chaturanga' (four divisions (of the military: infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry.). It was called 'Shatranj' by the Persians who visited India. In Europe, 'Chess' evolved into roughly its current form in the 15th century.

Ludo - Ludo is another very ancient game of India called 'Chausar' or 'Chaupad'. One of its first and most prominent reference is in the epic Mahabharta, with the game played between Duryodhana and Yudhishtra. In the 6th century this simple game of strategy and moves came to be known as 'Pachisi'. It was played on an embroidered, cross-shaped fabric that served as a board, with painted stones and cowrie shells. There is a depiction of this game in the caves of Ellora built between 600 to 1000 AD. In 1896 the game was modified by British to use a cubic dice with a dice cup and patented as 'Ludo' in England.

Snakes & Ladders - Another classic game from ancient India, the game of Saanp Seedhi originated as a game of morality - Gyan Chaupar or Mokshapat. Through Mokshapat children were taught that their actions have consequences, both good and bad. Though the invention of the game has been attributed to Saint Gyaneshwar in the 13 th century AD, it is believed to have its origins as early as 2nd century AD. The game was also known as, Vaikunthapali, Paramapada Sopana Patam and Parama padam in different parts of the country. The game of Gyan Chaupar found its way to England towards the end of the 19 th century and became 'Snakes and Ladders' and in 1943, the game was introduced in the USA as 'Chutes and Ladders'.

Brian Bristles was an artistic kind of a boy. He looked at everything as though it were a beautiful painting, and, in the blink of an eye, he could paint anything at all, filling it with magic and colour.

One day, Brian and his grandfather went to spend a weekend at the palace of the Marquis of Castling. The Marquis was an old friend of Brian's grandfather; and was a very famous chess player. When they arrived, Brian went into a large room and found a lovely chess set, totally hand carved, and with its own marble table which acted as the board. The chess set caught Brian's artistic eye, but he felt that the pieces were too uniform. The blacks and whites of the board amounted to a rather plain set.

So, that night, - paint box in hand - he tiptoed from his room to the chess room. There he spent the night painting each piece in the most colourful way. When the pieces were done, he painted a beautiful scene on the marble chessboard. Brian hoped to give a beautiful surprise to his grandfather and the Marquis.

However, the next morning, when the Marquis discovered that his pieces had been covered in a thousand colours, instead of being pleased, he was very angry. That afternoon he had a very important match to play. With all the pieces coloured and the board covered with painting, it would be impossible to play chess without being able to know which pieces and squares were black or white.

The boy felt very hurt. But Brian Bristles was a true artist, and he wasn't about to give up easily. A little while later he went to his grandfather and the Marquis, and asked their permission to rectify what he had done to the chess set. Knowing how ingeniously artistic the boy was, they decided to give him a chance, so Brian went off and spent hours alone with his paints.

When he was finished, shortly before the match was about to begin, he called for the two men and showed them his work.

What a beautiful chess set it was now! On one side, the board and the pieces had been decorated with dozens of stars and moons of all sizes and colours. On the other side the decorations were suns, clouds, and rainbows. It was done so well that the whole set now had an unmatchable sense of order, harmony and imagination.

The two grown-ups looked at the chess set and smiled. It was obvious that Brian Bristles would become a great artist.

[Source - Bedtime Stories]