All fun and games

Varsha Gowda delves into the rich, diverse corpus of rural games in Karnataka

Karnataka, with its varied geography — expansive plains, rolling hills and vibrant coasts — has evolved a similarly dizzying variety of games. These games, played on village pathways, centres or courtyards, have seasonal and regional significance. The games have played an integral role in the development of physical strength and intellectual prowess, and have fostered a sense of community across several generations.

“We can observe that there are games designed to be played in different seasons and in specific areas among rural communities. Some strategy games are meant to be played in the village centre among adults, others are meant to be played in village streets or within home yards,” explains folk researcher Arun Joladakudligi.

The playing of outdoor games can also be influenced by time of day, type of play and age. In Uttara Kannada, for instance, the game gicchi relies on rain and the moisture levels of the soil. “A few days after the monsoon, when the ground still has some moisture, boys play this game in two teams. They look for a metal rod with a sharpened end and toss it until it lands, sticking in the mud,” explains Shivanand Hombal, an educator who runs Dhwani, an educational resource centre in Dharwad. His organisation has compiled the rules of many games played in the region.

A woman plays ‘kunte bille’ at a fair in Mysuru.

Each team tries to stick the rod deeper in the mud and move forward. “The game was generally played on mud roads in villages. The rod was also fairly easy to source. Metalsmiths would sharpen it for us,” he says. Team play and physical strength are integral to gicchi.

Another game, dubba jigidaata, involves both boys and girls and requires high-jumping skills. Children who were ‘tagged’ would sit on the ground with outstretched feet. Those who were not ‘tagged’ would be required to jump over this obstacle — the child with the outstretched feet. “The stakes would rise with each round, with the ‘tagged’ child stacking one foot on top of the other, then palms and finally, the child would stand and hold on to their knees. The other participants would have to jump across the child’s back,” adds Hombal.

Many traditional games offer children valuable opportunities for spontaneous, unstructured play. “Traditional games have all the required material available at hand. We would play hunase beejadaata, another game, when tamarind would be harvested in summer,” he explains.

Games like chowka barah, aliguli mane and huli katte mane, played in courtyards for several decades, also make use of seeds, stones and broken bangle pieces. The board is hand-drawn with chalk or carved with a stone. “Huli katte mane was especially popular among shepherds. These games have no restrictions in age. Grandparents frequently play them with their children,” adds Hombal.

Social divisions

Several games that have been passed down through the generations in rural contexts are gendered. Caregiving duties and socio-cultural restrictions are some reasons why girls tend towards games closer to home. “Kunte bille (hopscotch), for instance, is one such game that is mostly played by girls across different age ranges. The square pattern is generally drawn in courtyards,” explains Joladakudligi. The more ‘adventurous’, physically demanding games are played by boys.

Nevertheless, some games, played exclusively by girls and women, represent the feminine experience. In North Karnataka, hadga is one such game that is played during Navratri. “A group of girls will take turns to go to each house in a village. There, they sing songs and complete a series of challenges. At the end, they get together and have to guess what khirapat or snack the host has made,” says Swatee Jog, co-convener of the Belagavi chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

Even games that are more widely played like lagori, kho kho and kabaddi are played within insulated social groups — divided along caste lines, explains Joladakudligi.

Sumit R (name changed), a resident of Hassan district, notes how fissures already evident in daily life would become especially pronounced during school recesses. “Even about five to six years ago, when I was in school, there was a group that would play lagori, cricket and kabaddi amongst themselves. We would not interact with each other unless the games were organised by the school or during an official sports meet,” he says. Outside of school, there would be a similar schism in gatherings.

Such societal divisions sparked the will to develop games suited for their own communities. For instance, “tribal communities have evolved hunting games that are generally played around Ugadi,” says Joladakudligi.

Religious festivals are common occasions for play. During Nagarpanchami, a range of games are played — swing games are particularly popular during this time. “The swings would be attached to wooden beams inside homes and children would see who could swing the highest and who was the swiftest,” explains Jog.