Reviving Traditional Board Games
It is not commonly known that several of the world’s most popular board games were conceived in the Indian subcontinent, including Ludo (or pachisi), Snakes and Ladders, and not least Chess, the greatest and most universal board game of all. Gaming with dice and the playing of board games have had a major role in Indian culture since at least the third millennium BCE.
The concept of play is embedded within human nature. From a game of dice that relies on chance to a game of Chaturanga (chess) that requires thought and skill to a game of kabaddi that relies on physical agility, traditional games push participants to think, strategise and win.
Traditional Games were not just games, they were designed in such a way that one can develop a lot of skills like logical thinking, building strategy, concentration, basic mathematics, aiming, and a lot more. Nowadays we develop these skills by paying money to centres that conduct personal development courses.
Presenting them in various paint styles and textile traditions, board games can revive the play as well a s the art form. Apart from presenting, these games become a tool for awareness and education on dying art forms while being ecologically sensitive and empowering rural initiatives.
Paint styles like GOND, PHAD, MADHUBANI, SANTHAL, WARLI, KALAMKARI can become the tool of representation while also involving eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, Eri Silk, Recycled wood and other such alternatives.