Of Childhood Games
That day being a holiday, I was free and heard a lot of noise being made by kids in my apartment scheme. It was 8.30 am and they had all gathered together and wanted to play games. They created a lot of furor and made noise. Yet they were not able to select any game as the kids seemed fussy. These kids were in the age group of five to twelve. Some one was carrying a cricket kit (not only the bat as we did and I remember our bat was never a branded product but a crude one, made by the local carpenter and the ball would always be a plastic or a rubber ball and stumps were always makeshift, mostly the rear or front wheel of a bicycle or a broken chair), or a hockey stick or a badminton racket, etc. The younger ones had small electronic cars or bikes in their hands. As the name of the game could not be decided, they decided to go to someone's home and play pool or watch a cartoon channel.
This made me think hard. What did we do as kids? What games did we play? And I realized that we would play a variety of games, boys and girls together. Summer vacation was a bonanza for all of us. In those days, people would sleep either on the terrace or in the courtyard at night. The preparation would begin the moment the sun had set. The courtyard was watered so as to make it cooler and fresher. The sweet smell of the earth we all enjoyed. At night, we, four of us siblings, would play carom or Bridge and many other card games for hours together. Then after dinner, was riddle and puzzle time. My father would narrate stories from English/ Roman and Latin literature. Cinderella, Seven Dwarfs, Thumbelina, Hercules, Samson, Shakespeare, Arabian Nights, Panchtantra, Ramayan and Mahabharat, Allaudin and Hatimtai, etc. We never had enough of these sessions. These were listened to time and again. All kinds of poems, English, Hindi, Marathi and Sanskrit verses were recited with parents. I learnt Neeraj, Subhadrakumari, Sumitranandan, Maithilisharan, Govindagarj, Kusumagraj, Anil, Tambe and Balkavi informally in this manner and am able to recollect these even now. We were taught the names of various stars and constellations. We never slept before midnight. We felt " tender is the night, and happly the Queen -Moon is on her throne,/ Clustered around by all her starry Fays;".
Yet we would all get up early at daybreak. By 5.30 a m, it was time to leave home. 15 to 20 of us would walk to Maharajbagh Zoo, a distance of 2.5 Kms from our residence. We would sing and guess the names of birds, trees and flowers on our way. The birds would " singest of summer with full throat-ed ease". At times, the name of the flower had to be guessed with the help of its sweet fragrance. Now again it reminds me of Keats:
There was a small lane near the zoo which would lead directly to the area where animals were kept. We all loved that lane as it was lined with karvand (Corinda) trees on one side. The trees had beautiful white flowers at the beginning of summer. In the month of June, we would collect and eat raw karvands and relish them. Near the cages of the monkeys was a huge tamarind tree. Stones were flung at it to get those juicy tamarinds. Boys would carry their catapults/ slingshots with them. Then would come the Chijebilais. Those red fruits would be very tempting. Another fruit, called Kamarak, rarely seen now-a-days, was relished by all of us. After snacking on all these 'Ran meva', we would go round all the cages and enjoy the sight of the animals with a lot of bantering and comments. We would collect all kinds of wild flowers, bushes and Monkey's Pillows. These Monkey's Pillows were the fruits of a huge tree, many such trees were in Maharajbagh, plump and big in size like a white pumpkin. Playing in the children's area was fun and enjoyable. All swings, slides, see-saws and horizontal bars were an absolute delight. Then we would play games like hide and seek and catch me if you can, All of us enjoyed 'Chikat Mavashi' and 'Visha Amrut'. By 8'O clock, it was time to go back home. As I am penning all these memories, I feel happy. Wish I could go back to my childhood. I think, all kids are missing this fun and physical sports now-a-days. In those days, there were no mobiles, TV sets and laptops, CD/DVD players, music Players, and Video games. So there was an exemplary comradery and sharing in spite of bickering. In those days, none of us had the fear of falling ill. We would drink water from the tap directly time and again and eat all these fruits without washing our hands and fruits. Now children seem to have lost immunity and resistance power.
After a bath and some breakfast, we would all assemble in the street. In summer, 'Surkandi' was very popular. Small , long and sleek bamboo sticks or branches of trees were required. Each would come with a stick and then the game would begin. Another game played often was vitti dandu. Most of these games were team games and required no money. While we played all these games, the younger lot would play marbles or with cycle tubes or rings. At times, Lagoree or Hide and Seek was played. No one got tired or exhausted.
In the post lunch noon, everyone assembled in some one's home and played in a room. Andhali Koshimbir was often played. Ludo, Carrom, Scrabble, Snakes and Ladder and various card games were played. Then we would go out and climbed up on the Jamun tree. Jamuns, pomegranates, lemons, raw summer guavas and other small fruits were plucked from the trees and eaten. Then we all dispersed and in my family, till the sunset and evening bath, we read books. How as siblings we fought for books to read it first. Abridged Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christi, Dickens, Kipling, O. Henry, Maugham, Panchtantra, Arabian Nights, Aesop's Fables among many other Indian writers like Gadkari, Shirwadkar, Khandekar and Aapte, etc were devoured. We had joined two libraries and would read, rather devour, all books recommended by parents.
In the evening, after swimming, we played Gada gadi, Queen and King, Dabba Express, Nadi ki Pahad and Aati Pati. In the garden in front of our house, we played Aaicha Patra and Aai Mala Poli De and Bone in the Manger along with other games. Very rarely did the girls played on their own. As such being the only girl with two elder and one younger brother, I played with boys and spent my time with them. Girls would play Tikkar Billa, Lagori, Kach Paani, Sagargote or bittya, etc. Most of the Girls often played Bhatukali and cooked meals with puffed rice and other small tit-bits. Bahula -Bahulicha Lagna was played on a grand scale in which children got married male and female dolls emulating the adults. As an adult, I feel that it was a very good way to perpetrate patriarchy by initiating girls into domestic chores and stereotyped work and gender roles. At the time of Ashwin Pournima, the girls would sing songs of Bhulabai in the evening after moon rise. One close look at these songs and their meanings shows how cathartic these songs were. Women would share all their woes and miseries of being with the in laws. These songs were sung only for nine days.
Now due to technology and modern gadgets, we rarely see children playing all these games. Most of them lead a hectic life with day boarding, tuitions and extra coaching, etc. Then they are sent to various camps and coaching for Cricket, Football, Badminton, Basketball, Table Tennis, etc. All parents wish their children to be either Sachin, Virat or Sania or Saina. Then due to the telecast of so many Reality shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Indian Idol, or Raw Star and Naach Baliye and Dance India Dance, children are sent for Music, Singing and Dancing classes. The importance of games is being forgotten, These games increase not only stamina and build fitness, develop immunity and resistance power, but also help in enhancing social as well as emotional intelligence and quotient. They inculcate a spirit of team work, sharing, give and take as well as in forgetting and forgiving. They hone communication skills too. None of us knew what stress or tension. A five year old child in my neighbourhood uses words like tension, load, stress and boredom every now and then. Our games were indeed very therapeutic.
It is as if the kids have lost their childhood, a childhood we enjoyed so much, being free and careless, stress free and healthy. Science and Technology, are no doubt a boon, but it has for sure, taken its toll on our children. In India, like abroad, children are seen playing games at Gaming Zones, on Mobiles, Lap Tops, Tabs, Video games, etc. They are enjoying these activities as well. Most of the games I played or we played as kids, have been forgotten. All our childhood games were the games of the soil, deeply rooted in Indian culture and tradition. Can we restore their childhood is a serious issue which needs to be tackled at once and on war footing.
Vandana Pathak
Yet we would all get up early at daybreak. By 5.30 a m, it was time to leave home. 15 to 20 of us would walk to Maharajbagh Zoo, a distance of 2.5 Kms from our residence. We would sing and guess the names of birds, trees and flowers on our way. The birds would " singest of summer with full throat-ed ease". At times, the name of the flower had to be guessed with the help of its sweet fragrance. Now again it reminds me of Keats:
There was a small lane near the zoo which would lead directly to the area where animals were kept. We all loved that lane as it was lined with karvand (Corinda) trees on one side. The trees had beautiful white flowers at the beginning of summer. In the month of June, we would collect and eat raw karvands and relish them. Near the cages of the monkeys was a huge tamarind tree. Stones were flung at it to get those juicy tamarinds. Boys would carry their catapults/ slingshots with them. Then would come the Chijebilais. Those red fruits would be very tempting. Another fruit, called Kamarak, rarely seen now-a-days, was relished by all of us. After snacking on all these 'Ran meva', we would go round all the cages and enjoy the sight of the animals with a lot of bantering and comments. We would collect all kinds of wild flowers, bushes and Monkey's Pillows. These Monkey's Pillows were the fruits of a huge tree, many such trees were in Maharajbagh, plump and big in size like a white pumpkin. Playing in the children's area was fun and enjoyable. All swings, slides, see-saws and horizontal bars were an absolute delight. Then we would play games like hide and seek and catch me if you can, All of us enjoyed 'Chikat Mavashi' and 'Visha Amrut'. By 8'O clock, it was time to go back home. As I am penning all these memories, I feel happy. Wish I could go back to my childhood. I think, all kids are missing this fun and physical sports now-a-days. In those days, there were no mobiles, TV sets and laptops, CD/DVD players, music Players, and Video games. So there was an exemplary comradery and sharing in spite of bickering. In those days, none of us had the fear of falling ill. We would drink water from the tap directly time and again and eat all these fruits without washing our hands and fruits. Now children seem to have lost immunity and resistance power.
After a bath and some breakfast, we would all assemble in the street. In summer, 'Surkandi' was very popular. Small , long and sleek bamboo sticks or branches of trees were required. Each would come with a stick and then the game would begin. Another game played often was vitti dandu. Most of these games were team games and required no money. While we played all these games, the younger lot would play marbles or with cycle tubes or rings. At times, Lagoree or Hide and Seek was played. No one got tired or exhausted.
In the post lunch noon, everyone assembled in some one's home and played in a room. Andhali Koshimbir was often played. Ludo, Carrom, Scrabble, Snakes and Ladder and various card games were played. Then we would go out and climbed up on the Jamun tree. Jamuns, pomegranates, lemons, raw summer guavas and other small fruits were plucked from the trees and eaten. Then we all dispersed and in my family, till the sunset and evening bath, we read books. How as siblings we fought for books to read it first. Abridged Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christi, Dickens, Kipling, O. Henry, Maugham, Panchtantra, Arabian Nights, Aesop's Fables among many other Indian writers like Gadkari, Shirwadkar, Khandekar and Aapte, etc were devoured. We had joined two libraries and would read, rather devour, all books recommended by parents.
In the evening, after swimming, we played Gada gadi, Queen and King, Dabba Express, Nadi ki Pahad and Aati Pati. In the garden in front of our house, we played Aaicha Patra and Aai Mala Poli De and Bone in the Manger along with other games. Very rarely did the girls played on their own. As such being the only girl with two elder and one younger brother, I played with boys and spent my time with them. Girls would play Tikkar Billa, Lagori, Kach Paani, Sagargote or bittya, etc. Most of the Girls often played Bhatukali and cooked meals with puffed rice and other small tit-bits. Bahula -Bahulicha Lagna was played on a grand scale in which children got married male and female dolls emulating the adults. As an adult, I feel that it was a very good way to perpetrate patriarchy by initiating girls into domestic chores and stereotyped work and gender roles. At the time of Ashwin Pournima, the girls would sing songs of Bhulabai in the evening after moon rise. One close look at these songs and their meanings shows how cathartic these songs were. Women would share all their woes and miseries of being with the in laws. These songs were sung only for nine days.
Now due to technology and modern gadgets, we rarely see children playing all these games. Most of them lead a hectic life with day boarding, tuitions and extra coaching, etc. Then they are sent to various camps and coaching for Cricket, Football, Badminton, Basketball, Table Tennis, etc. All parents wish their children to be either Sachin, Virat or Sania or Saina. Then due to the telecast of so many Reality shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Indian Idol, or Raw Star and Naach Baliye and Dance India Dance, children are sent for Music, Singing and Dancing classes. The importance of games is being forgotten, These games increase not only stamina and build fitness, develop immunity and resistance power, but also help in enhancing social as well as emotional intelligence and quotient. They inculcate a spirit of team work, sharing, give and take as well as in forgetting and forgiving. They hone communication skills too. None of us knew what stress or tension. A five year old child in my neighbourhood uses words like tension, load, stress and boredom every now and then. Our games were indeed very therapeutic.
It is as if the kids have lost their childhood, a childhood we enjoyed so much, being free and careless, stress free and healthy. Science and Technology, are no doubt a boon, but it has for sure, taken its toll on our children. In India, like abroad, children are seen playing games at Gaming Zones, on Mobiles, Lap Tops, Tabs, Video games, etc. They are enjoying these activities as well. Most of the games I played or we played as kids, have been forgotten. All our childhood games were the games of the soil, deeply rooted in Indian culture and tradition. Can we restore their childhood is a serious issue which needs to be tackled at once and on war footing.
Vandana Pathak
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