Childhood games of yore revisit Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A unique exhibition 'Heritage Games of India' kicked off on Friday at Sapthaparni, Hyderabad. It is the first and biggest ever exhibition on traditional games ever held in India

Organised by Good Old Games, a company floated by two designers—Sangeetha Rajesh and Archana, the two-day fair is open to the public from 10 am to 8 pm till Sunday. It is the fifth edition of the show.

These games include Pachisi, Ashta Chamma, Vamana Guntalu, Puli Joodam, Daadi, Snakes & Ladders, Chadrangam (Chess), Taabla, Kailsam, Gachkaayalu, Bambaram, Pittoo.

The exhibition is unique in many ways. It is a continuous effort by two friends—Sangeetha Rajesh and Archana, as their small contribution towards reviving these long forgotten and on the verge of extinction.

A grand display of '101 Ancient Indian Heirloom Games' is being showcased in the expo. The display is the largest one has ever seen in the recent past. The passionate duo displayed 101 different designs and models of these games, some of them giant sized and multipurpose ones. The look and feel of them are so good that you want to play with them immediately.

The others include: Giant 5 piece Pachisi, 3 in 1 Pachisi Jaipur Box, Snakes & Ladders antique laminated boards, Goats and Tigers in Silk embroidery, Chadarangam Hand painted with figure pawns, Chadarangam Bahubali Set, Collectors Set, Vertical Chess, Taabla in silk with elephant pawns, Daadi in cedar wood, in painted wood;

Tic tac toe had crafted, Solitaire marble games, Cubic Dice boxes, Wooden Kitchen sets, Lady Musician set, 7 stone games, Gachakaayalu, Nesting Dolls, Dancing Dolls, Clay Dolls, Nontoxic piggy banks, different types of dice and much more. They are so good that seeing is believing and will motivate kids and adults to motivate them to play.

Good Old Indian Traditional Games have faded into oblivion. Soon, they will disappear totally, due to modern gadgets. Let us not allow this to happen. Let us replace modern gadgets and gizmos with Good Old Indian Traditional Games.

Most of us, a few decades ago found spending holidays by playing traditional Indian games. In the course of time, those games have dwindled and now they have been replaced by Video/Computer/Mobile games. This led to the gradual death of the most favourite "childhood games".

Together we can revive them. We can play a catalyst role. Towards this direction, we are organizing a varied collection of games starts from Pachisi, Vamana guntalu, Ashta chamma, Chadarangam, Kailasam, to Puli joodam, Daadi, Taabla etc, crafted in wood, jute, fabric, brass, silk, and silver, decorated through the oldest form of Indian arts such as kalamkari, Mughal miniature painting, camel bone craft, lacquer paints, embroideries, Sholapur threading etc.

Also, the antique collections of 100-year-old games and exclusive pawns will be an added attraction informed Sangeetha Rajesh and Archana. These games are also available for you to grab, buy. The price range varies from Rs 250 to Rs 60,000.