Entertainment is indispensable to the human experience and contributes to health and happiness. It’s fun, amusing, and gets your mind off things, providing the perfect break from a reality filled with deadlines, stress, and responsibilities. Watching TV at home remains the main entertainment activity, but this trend points towards older generations. Playing video games is the most widespread form of entertainment across all age groups. Criticized mainly for making people antisocial or depressed, games can actually change us for the better and improve our body and mind.
There are many traditional Indian games that are still popular today, such as Kabaddi. They have an ancient origin, not to mention a unique role in forming cultural identity and carrying historical information about national traditions. These games are now available online, so you can play on your smartphone. It may be hard for you to decide what to play, but we can help you with this. Here are some crucial Indian traditional games to start with.
Satta Matka
Satta Matka has captured the attention of countless people because it can become intense at times, and this is something many find appealing. It dates back to before the Partition of India, referred to as Ankada Jugar, when people used to place bets on the opening and closing rates of cotton transmitted to the Bombay Cotton Exchange through teleprinters. In 1961, the New York Cotton Exchange put an end to the practice, causing people to seek alternative ways to keep the matka business alive. It’s believed that a Sindhi migrant came up with the idea of declaring rates for imaginary products and playing cards.
Satta Matka has found its place in the digital world, but that doesn’t mean it’s become boring or there are better things to play instead. It’s simply been made digital, so give online Matka Satta a try. While the game’s base is the same, subtle variations aren’t rare. For a worthwhile session of Satta Matka, find a trusted bookie; they should have proof of license on their website. Always play safe by betting an amount that doesn’t restrict you from playing further. Luck plays a vital role in the game, so you can’t always predict the upcoming draw.
Parcheesi
Parcheesi is described in the ancient text of Mahabharata, where the game is referred to by the Hindi name “Pasha”, which means twenty-five, the biggest score that can be achieved. The great Mughal emperor Akbar allegedly played the game using actual people as pawns and specially built courts as game boards. Parcheesi is a race between two or four players who must move their pawns around the board and finish at its centre. You can challenge friends and strangers to play online to test your strategies and skills. Owing to the board design and camera angles, it doesn’t feel like any other online game.
Rummy
It goes without saying that rummy is one of the most loved traditional card games in India. Called 13-card rummy, it’s played with a standard deck of cards. The rules of the game are straightforward and can be easily learned. Each player receives 13 cards that must be arranged in sequences – your aim is to make a declaration before your opponents do. The closed deck remains concealed from the players, and the top card is revealed and placed face up to form the open deck. To win at rummy, you must achieve the proper combination of strategy and talent, so play with focus, concentration, and determination.
The Joker can be used in any set and sequence without restrictions. More exactly, it can be substituted for any missing card, in which case its value is equal to the card it replaces. You can’t use more than two Jokers in a sequence or set. Getting rid of all of the cards is known as rummy. The player with the most points wins the game. Focus on forming a pure sequence, i.e., one without a joker; the cards must be placed in consecutive order in terms of rank. This is especially important when playing Indian rummy.
Chaturanga
Chaturanga is a strategy game regarded as the earliest precursor of modern-day chess because it has the two key features present in later variants: pieces of contrasting colours and values and victory that relies on capturing the opponent’s king. The word “chaturanga” means having four limbs or parts, and in epic poetry, such as the Ramayana, it often means army. The game’s invention is attributed to the wife of Ravana or the Pandavas. Chaturanga was played on an 8×8 uncheckered board, which sometimes had special markings. The initial positions of the pawns and knights haven’t changed, but there are regional and temporal variations for the other pieces.
Since chaturanga times, the appearance of the pieces has swung back and forth between simple and ornate. Simpler, symbolic Shatranj pieces might have made the game popular by making sets easier to make and allowing players to focus on the game itself. As you may have guessed, you can play Chaturanga online. All you have to do is head over to your computer or phone and browse for a game to play. In Chaturanga, pawns move exactly one square forward, so a pawn on the fifth rank will be treated as isolated, usually a weakness. You can use the king to engage in an attack at any time during the game.
Concluding Thoughts
Technology has overpowered our lives, but traditional Indian games haven’t disappeared or lost their importance. As a matter of fact, they’ve persevered through their hardships and emerged victorious, regaining their players’ favour. Both individually and collectively, players exhibit and sharpen cognitive skills. Each of the games discussed earlier, and many others, have been locally played in one form or another for decades in the Indian culture. The rules aren’t written but agreed upon by participants. It’s never been easier to play traditional Indian games. You can play just about anywhere, whether it’s on the bus or at home. Be determined and persevere through the challenges.
