SINDHI FOLK GAMES 

BOYISH GAMES

Bhej Maula: (God send….) children love to play in water. Whenever there was rain (which was a rarity in Sind), children would rush out and get drenched repeating: 'Bhej Maula, Chaandi ka Gola '. Parents would be afraid that the child could fall sick. But no child listened to its parents. Even today when the rains lash the city, nostalgic


Akhboot: (Ank Micholi): A child quietly steals up from behind another child and shuts his/her eyes without being noticed. The blind folded child then has to recognise the blind-folder. On guessing right, the blind-folder releases the grip.


Itti Dakar (Gilli Danda): This famous game of Sind is popular all over India. A hole (gid) is dug (3 inches long and 1 ½ inches wide). The games is played with two wooden sticks - one small (ittee) - 3 inches long, thick in the center and thin and pointed at both ends, and the other long (dakar) is about 1 foot in length. The ittee is placed on the gid and scooped up with the help of the 'dakar'. If the 'itee' is caught by the fielders, then the player is out, and another takes his place. If not, player goes on to smite the narrower end of the 'ittee' and strikes it with all his force driving it further and further from the gid till he is caught. Another style popular in Sind was: the player scoops the 'ittee' as far with his might, counts with the help of 'dakar'the distance from the 'gid' repeating 'bakat, lane, moon, naar, aar, veyee, yagu' (six). He then places the 'itee' on the part of the body (toe. Elbow, eye, finger etc.) as determined by the distance form the 'gid'. If the player cannot fend it off, he loses a turn. However, if the 'ittee' falls into the 'gid', the player is declared out. This game can be played between two rival groups. A risky and dangerous game because the ittee can sometimes pierce the eye or any part of the body.

Laatoon (Top): The top is made of wood. Today we have tops made of plastic with a metal point. A3 -4 feet long string is wrapped around the top and the top is spun on the floor. Rival players try to hoist the top with their string and catch it in midair. If they succeed the player spinning the top is out. Sometimes the player even spins the top on his palm

Chiddha Goliyoon (Marbles): In those days marbles from soda water bottles were used to play games. These days one has specially designed coloured glass marbles or marbles made of lac or even metal. A 'gid' (hole) is dug in the ground. A horizontal line is drawn some distance away from the 'gidh'. Each player throws his marble at the 'gid'. The nearness of the marbles to the 'gid decides who is to take the first turn. Next, the players contribute equal quantities of marbles to a common pool. The marbles are then thrown towards the gid by the first player. Marbles that land into the gid belong to the thrower. The thrower has to strike a marble outside the hole pointed out by the rival. If he manages to strike the marble, all the marbles are won. However, if he strikes a wrong by him, the thrower is penalised.

Another form is where a circle is made on the ground where all the marbles are placed. Players then have to shoot with the help of a stretched index finger the marbles in the circle. Marbles shot our of the circle are claimed by the striker.

Other games are Patang bazi, kho-kho, chor-sipahi, kala-baazi, teer-kamaan, etc.