List of Traditional Games of India

• 17 March 2022

OLD INDIAN GAMES
Kids running around the streets and playing their hearts out in merry used to be the evening routine before smartphones took over the space and glued them to their seats. Though Cricket, Badminton, and Football took over a significant chunk, traditional Indian games like Kith-kith and Kancha were also seen around the corner.
As some of them are seen petering, many question the purpose of their existence amongst the flashy commercial sports and academic bustles. But Maybe these sports are not meant to be commercialized worldwide but to be enjoyed regionally with people, to teach oneness and shared values amongst a society.
While Gilli Danda is tapering, there's another group like Kabaddi, Ludo, Snakes, and Ladder that are being traversed to another level,
And we've got a list of Traditional Games; check out how many you know and have played!

GILLI DANDA
If You're an ardent cricket lover, Gilli Danda might be your next go-to game, and all it takes is two sticks and some of your pals!
Popularly referred to as "Tip-cat" in English, the game is recognized by various names in various regions and is one of the most famous traditional Indian games.
It uses 2 sticks, a short stick (6 inches) – the Gilli and a longer one (1.5 Feet)-the Danda. All the players stand in a circle. The Gilli is placed in a hole or stick, an edge touching the ground, and others floating in the air. The player will have to strike the floating edge of the Danda so it flies high and again strikes it to the furthest distance and will start running a pre-decided length. A player of the opponent team chases the Danda, and if he succeeds in the attempt, the striker gets out. If not, the striker gets the point. The opponent player will have to return to the circle.
How different is it from cricket?

KHO-KHO
It is trendy in schools and is also played professionally. The National Kho-Kho Federation was established as early as 1955, which led to the setting up of the Asian Federation and various International tournaments.
It is played in 2 innings between two teams of 12 players -9 active players and 3 reserves. One group becomes Chasers and the other runners. The chasers sit/kneel in a straight line, every consecutive of them facing the other direction. The chasers catch the runners by tagging their teammates. Each team has to chase and defend for 9 minutes twice in a match.
The Kho-Kho court is 26Metre long and 16 meters wide.

KABADDI
The sport originated from India has been acclaimed with numerous tales about its origination through the most popular and widely accepted one, which remains from Mahabharata.
It is a team sport played between two teams of 7 players. The "Raider" goes to the other side of the court, where 4 opponents stand in a semi-circle, holding hands. The Raider touched them and returned to the touchline while constantly uttering, "Kabaddi ."Flipping the other side, the teammates will have to prompt the Raider before he touches the line by gripping him.
It is a prevalent sport amongst Asian countries, and India has initiated the Pro Kabaddi League, which has taken the sport to an all-time high.

LAGORI
Also known as "Seven Stones," a game played enthusiastically by kids. As the name gives away, seven stones are lined one over the other. The game's outlook is similar to cricket, and a "seeker" throws a ball at the stones from a certain distance. And the seekers rush back to pile up the stones while avoiding the throws of the (hitter) opponent teams. The hitters aim to stop the seekers from succeeding in the pileup.
As the sport seemed to peter with other sports taking up the scenario, the Karnataka Amateur Lagori Association set up a Lagori League, featuring 10 teams, with 2 foreign players.
Though not widely noticed, the sport was played amongst 30 countries, so a World Cup was initiated to popularize the sport.

LUDO
A board game that has its reference as early as Mahabharata, where Sahuni is believed to have used cursed dice, marked the beginning of the Great war.
It is a board game played by 2 to 4 individual players. Each player will be given four pieces that they will have to take to home through a circuit. Other players who interrupt on the same spot in the course can take over the place by replacing the already existing coin, and thereby, the player who lost the area will have to restart the turn with the coin.
The player who takes all the four coins home first is declared the winner.
The game has found a recent upsurge ever since its online versions. Ludo King and Ludo Online are the two most popular online games.

KANCHA
Kancha is one of the most popular Traditional games kids play in the streets. The player uses marble to hit the target marble, called "Kancha," which falls in a hole dug, and the winner gets all the marbles.
This game is also accredited to improving concentration. It has found its origination in the Harappan civilizations near River Indus.

KITH KITH
Recognized by various names throughout the country, there wouldn't have been a child in India who wouldn't have played the game. It is also called Hopscotch.
Numbered boxes are drawn in patterns of rectangles, and players will have to throw stones successively and jump single-legged through the other boxes and pick up the rock to finish the play. There is no limit for participants.

MALLAKHAMB
The Word Mallakhamb is derived from "Malla," which denotes wrestler, and "Khamb," which means pole.
It is also known as Wrestling Pole. Mallakhmab is a traditional sport where a wrestler performs aerial yoga postures while standing on a hanging wooden pole. It is the state sport of Madhya Pradesh.
India initiated the first-ever Mallakhamb World Championship featuring 15 countries and emerged Championships.

SNAKE AND LADDER
It is a popular board game initially called "Moksha Pattam ."A board with numbered squares is filled with Snakes and Ladders. The players will have to move a token from the start to the end of the board. Dice should be rolled to indicate the number of spaces the coin should be moved. Once the coin lands bottom of the ladder, the token will escalate to the location up the ladder. And in the case of a snake, it will slide down the snake's tail.
The first player to finish successfully is the winner.
The online versions of the game have increased their popularity.

HIDE AND SEEK
Hide and seek is played in different forms and is highly common among all age groups. The "Seeker" closes his eyes and counts a pre-determined number, and the others hide at a particular place. And the seeker will have to find everybody hiding.
Online versions of the game can also be installed and played, and welcomed amongst the kids. However, playing Hide and Seek alone is common in various parts of Asia, and it is a very threatening game played at 3A.M in the morning.

LANDI
Landi is very similar to Kith kith and is considered a training sport for sports like Kho-kho, Volleyball, and Gymnastics.
The game can be played with yen number of players, and a circle has to be drawn in correspondence to the number of players. The players are divided into two teams. One team- the chasers and the others-the defenders. One player from the chasing team will hop single-legged and tag players from the other team. The defenders will be considered out if they step outside the boundary. When the chasers tag all the defenders, they switch positions.
The team that gets out the defenders faster will be declared winners.

Q & A
1. How many players are in Kho Kho?
A team consists of 12 players, but only 9 players take the field each time.
Which country's National game is Kho Kho?

2. What is the old name of Kho Kho?
Run-chase is believed to be the name Kho-Kho was derived from.

3. How to play the Kho-Kho game?
It is played in 2 innings between two teams of 12 players -9 active players and 3 reserves. One group becomes Chasers and the other runners. The chasers sit/kneel in a straight line, every consecutive of them facing the other direction. The chasers catch the runners by tagging their teammates. Each team has to chase and defend for 9 minutes twice in a match.

4. Who invented Kho-kho?
The origin traces way back to history, but the modern versions are believed t have been drafted by Akhil Maharashtra Shareerika Shikshan Mandal.

5. What is the height of the Kho Kho Pole?
120Cm to 125 Cm

6. How to play Ludo, and what is the complete form of Ludo?
It is derived from the Latin word which means I play.
It is a board game played by 2 to 4 individual players. Each player will be given four pieces that they will have to take home through a circuit. Other players who interrupt on the same spot in the course can take over the place by replacing the already existing coin, and thereby, the player who lost the area will have to restart the turn with the coin.
The player who takes all the four coins home first is declared the winner.

6. Who invented Ludo?
Ludo is believed to have originated from Ancient India.