To heaven and back at the roll of a dice

At a glance, the board game of Sarp-Rajju (Snakes and Ropes) looks like a regular set of snakes and ladders. A closer look reveals that there are ropes instead of ladders, with 72 (9x8), not 100 squares, with nine being the number of sensory windows and eight the parts of the body.

Players start at cell 68, named vaikuntha (eternal bliss). The other cells too are named after elements from Hindu philosophy, like moha (delusion) and kaama (desire). Each throw of the dice indicates the number of cells the player must advance tracing their ‘karmic path’ back towards vaikuntha. If there are doubts about the rules, players can scan a QR code to access them.

Sarp-Rajju and five other indoor games have been developed by Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), an innovation cell founded at the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 2020, under the Union Ministry of Education, to promote interdisciplinary research on aspects of indigenous knowledge. The games have been divided into three segments: dice-based, strategic, and those based on engagement. By the end of the year, 15 games are likely to be launched.

This is in keeping with the ministry’s focus on the shift from rote-based to fun-filled learning that is one of the themes of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The aim is to promote creativity and a multi-faceted growth.

These indoor games will be introduced to school children in the next academic year, under the Bhartiya Games programme that has already launched 75 outdoor games from different parts of the country in the current school year. Some popular ones are Langdi-Taang (hopscotch), javelin throw, Patang Uddayan (kite flying), Seeta Uddhar (prisoner’s base), Mardani Khel (a form of martial arts).

“Through these games, we plan to introduce the Indian world-view to children as well as adults,“ says Anuradha Choudhry, a coordinator with the IKS.

Some indoor games have been included in the Jadui Pitara (magic box), a play-based learning programme tailored for children between 3 and 8 years. The programme, available in 13 languages, was launched by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last year, and has been developed under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), one of the key components of the NEP. The Jadui Pitara comprises playbooks, toys, posters, flash cards, and indoor games.

The games are also being promoted individually. For example, Sarp-Rajju was circulated among G-20 delegates at various meets. An exhibition of forms of Chaturanga (chess), curated by the Ministry of Culture, was held in March, and was open to many in the education sector.

Among the board games which have been revived, reworked, and promoted are Bagh-Bakri (Tiger and Goats), Dash Ghuti (10 Pieces), and Chutaranga. Ninyaanave ka Pher (The Cycle of 99), a game from Rajasthan; and Golokdhaam, a game from West Bengal.

“Ancient board games of India were vastly different from what we have today. You could just play them with readily available things: seeds, stones, pebbles, and draw them out on the mud,” says Aman Gopal, a consultant with IKS, whose Kolkata-based company Khol Khel is the nodal organisation in this project.

These games will soon be available through an online portal buddhiyoga.in.

To heaven and back at the roll of a dice

The Indian Knowledge Systems, under Education Ministry, has developed 6 indoor games that are rooted in indigenous knowledge; these will be introduced in schools from the next academic year