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India has several traditional games andsports,[1] some of which have been played for thousands of years.[2][3][4] Their popularity has greatly declined in the modern era, withWestern sports havingovertaken them during theBritish Raj,[5] and the Indian government now makingsome efforts to revive them.[6][7] Many of these games do not require much equipment or playing space.[8] Some of them are only played in certain regions of India, or may be known by different names and played under different rules and regulations in different regions of the country.[9][10]
Kho-kho has been played since at least the fourth century BC.[11]Kabaddi and kho-kho may have had certain aspects of their gameplay mentioned in theMahabharata, which was written before 300 AD.[3][4]Atya-patya is mentioned in theNaṟṟiṇai, written in 300 AD or before.[12]Chaturanga is an ancient board game which experienced various modifications as it was transmitted from India toward Europe and became the modern game ofchess.[13] Some of these games were used for military training purposes;[14][15][12] constant warfare between Indians/against invaders forced an emphasis on physical activities related to fighting.[citation needed] One example of this connection between sports and war wasAbhimanyu's piercing of theChakravyuha as depicted in theMahabharata, which may have had a connection to the skills used in kabaddi and kho-kho.[4][16][17]
Traditional Indian games served various purposes throughout and had various connections toIndian history; for example, certain aspects of the Bengalihopscotch game of ekka-dokka may have represented concepts of social division of property,[19] kabaddi may have been used as a preparation for hunting,[20] and the Bengali tag game ofgollachut may have represented escape attempts by agricultural slaves during theIndus Valley Civilization.[19] Hindu teachings placed emphasis on being physically fit, with theKshatriya warrior caste in particular having to practice martial activities such as archery, while Buddhist teachings were more mixed; Buddhaprohibited some traditional games which were considered to be causing negligence amongst people, though he himself played certain other games, such as archery and kabaddi.[21] Buddhist monks, who generally shunned violence, adopted the use ofIndian martial arts to protect themselves. Different activities were interrelated; the breathing aspects of kabaddi had connections with thepranayama breath-control techniques fromyoga[22][23][24] and the martial art ofkalaripayattu was practiced in tandem withatya-patya by soldiers in Kerala.[12]
DuringMughal rule, some of the traditional games were greatly patronised and played in modified ways; for example,Akbar invented a version ofpolo which could be played at night by setting the ball on fire,[25][26][27] and played a magnified version ofpachisi with courtesans acting as the pieces on the board.[28] However, Hindu subjects were discouraged from drinking and playing polo, which were apt to make them unruly and rebellious.[29] Wrestling was popular at the time as well,[30] with Persian and Indian forms of wrestling merging to formpehlwani.[31]
During the time of theBritish Raj, Indians began to focus more on playingBritish sports such ascricket,hockey, andfootball rather than their traditional sports.[5][32] Part of the reason behind this was so that they could rise up the ranks by imitating the culture of the colonisers;[33] later on, some Indians also started to see British sports as an activity in which they could "beat" their colonisers.[34] The British also at times pushed for the growth ofWestern physical culture, seeing it as a way to increase the uptake of British culture and values in India,[35][36][37] and arguing that Indian men were effeminate and thus needed a more European physical regimen (seeMuscular Christianity).[38] This was intertwined with the British promoting themartial race theory, in which the native soldiers that were loyal to the British Empire were seen as brave and well-built for fighting, while the educated dissenters were unfit.[39]
A notable traditional sport which continued to be played during this time waspolo, which the British helped to codify and support as an official sport.[40] Some British board games, such asSnakes and Ladders andLudo, were also inspired by Indian board games.[41]
Some self-funded sports clubs, such as theakharas,vyayamshalas, and kreeda mandals promoted and organized competitions at various levels for traditional games during this time.[42][43] Various traditional games began to be standardized during this period,[44] and some of them wereexhibited at the1936 Berlin Olympic Games.[45]
In post-Independent India, the traditional sports' popularity has greatly declined with the further growth of Western sports andonline gaming.[47] Kabaddi is the most popular traditional sport, with the highest viewership and most career opportunities; its growth was spurred on by the creation of thePro Kabaddi League.[48] Kabaddi's growth has led to itspreading outside of South Asia as well, with countries such as South Korea and Iran playing it.[49][50] Kho-kho has also had a franchise league started for it,Ultimate Kho Kho;[51] the Pro Kabaddi League and Ultimate Kho Kho are respectively the most and third-most viewed non-cricket competitions in India.[52]
Whereas in the past, traditional Indian games were often played on mud surfaces in rural areas, in the modern day they are often played on matted surfaces with changes to their rule sets and other aspects of their appearance to make them more appealing and exciting.[53][54][55] Some traditional games, such as board games and casino card games,[56][57] are alsobeing digitalised so that they can be played as video games.[58]
To revive the traditional games, the Indian government started theBharatiya Khel initiative with the view that these games are more affordable for rural Indians to play, and are important for reviving Indian culture as well as increasing team spirit.[59][60] And in accordance with theNational Education Policy (NEP) 2020, 7th-class textbooks have been issued that include content on traditional games.[61] The government is also planning to introduce some games like kabaddi and kho-kho into theOlympics if it wins a bid to host a future Olympic event,[62] such as its current bid for the2036 Olympics.[63] TheFit India movement has also contributed to the revival of traditional Indian games, with schools required to include such games as part of physical education.[64]
At the state level, theChhattisgarhiya Olympics is an annual Chhattisgarhi competition meant for celebrating traditional games; over 3 million people likely participated in the 2023 edition.[68] TheQila Raipur Sports Festival has been celebratingtraditional Punjabi sports since 1933.[69]
The Association of Traditional Sports and Games, India (ATSGI) was formed in 2020 with the purpose of revitalizing and fostering traditional games and sports, operating under the guidance of the International Council for Traditional Sports and Games (ICTSG) endorsed by UNESCO.[70] Padi Richo, president of the Arunachal Olympic Association, was unanimously elected as president of the ATSGI, with Aman Kumar Sharma in the position of Secretary-General.[71]
Gilli danda is similar to many other games around the world, such as the English game oftip-cat,[72] and also has similarities to the British sport ofcricket, which is one of the reasons that sport became popularthroughout South Asia in the colonial era.[73] It is a game where a player hits a short stick on the ground up into the air using a longer stick held in their hand. They then hit the airborne stick with the hand-held stick again so that it travels as far as possible. If a player on the other team catches the stick before it touches the ground, then the hitter is out (eliminated).[74]
Nondi (known by several other regional names) is a game similar tohopscotch. In it, several connected boxes are drawn on the ground, and players throw a rock or similar object onto one of the boxes and then attempt to hop their way to the box the rock lands in.[75]
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Gameplay varies based on geography and cultural adaptations, but the fundamental rules are as follows. A member of the attacking team (theseekers) throws a ball at a pile of seven stones in an attempt to knock them over. If a seeker fails to knock over at least one stone within a certain amount of tries, it becomes another team members turn. The objective of the seekers is to try and restore the pile of stones while staying safe from the defending team's (thehitters’) throws. The hitters' objective is to hit or touch the seekers with the ball before they can reconstruct the stone pile. If the ball touches a seeker, that seeker is out and the team which the seeker came from continues, without the seeker. Points are awarded to the seekers if they are able to restack the stone pile and hitters receive points for eliminating the seekers. The round is completed when the stone pile is reconstructed or the hitters eliminate all of the seekers.
Maram Pitti, also known as Picchi Banti (పిచ్చి బంతి) inTelugu, is an Indian version ofdodgeball. It is played with a rubber ball or tennis ball and is often played by a small group, usually 5-6 players, in a small enclosed area or bylanes. The game can also be played solo, in pairs, or in teams of 3 or more players.[76]
Ball badminton is a sport native toIndia. It is aracket sport game, played with a yellow ball made ofwool, on a court of fixed dimensions (12 by 24 metres) divided by a net. The game was played as early as 1856 by the royal family inTanjore, the capital ofThanjavur district inTamil Nadu, India. It enjoys the greatest popularity in India. Ball badminton is a fast-paced game; it demands skill, quick reflexes, good judgment, agility, and the ability to control the ball with one's wrist.[77]
Some Indian games involving marbles are also known as Kancha/Kanche or Golli Gundu. Several games are played involving players flicking marbles at other marbles, often in order to "capture" as many marbles as possible by the end of the game to win.[78][79][80]
InIndia, the game is calledanju kal inTamil andpanchguti/pansguti (পাঁচগুটি) inBengali andAssamese ("5 stones"). It is played with 5–7 stones. It is played between two or more players in turn. The game is played in 5 rounds. Generally for first 4 rounds four stones are thrown on the floor. First round is to pick up 4 stones one by one. Second round is to pick 2 stones at a time. Third round is to pick 3 stones together and then pick one. Fourth round is to pick all four in one go. Last round is to toss all the stones from palm and place it on the back of the palm and then catch all four by tossing to above.
There are several Indian variations of the game oftag (sometimes referred to in India as "running and catching" or in Hindi,pakdam pakdai),[81] withkabaddi andkho-kho being the two most popular such games and being played in professional leagues (Pro Kabaddi League andUltimate Kho Kho respectively).[82][51]
In many Indianvariations of tag, the player who is supposed to tag the other players is referred to as the "denner".[81][83] There are a number of ways of determining which player should be the denner; one such method isSaa Boo Three (also known aspugam pugai), in which three players face one of their hands either up or down, and if one of them faces their hand the opposite direction of the other two, then that player is the denner.[84][85]
Kabaddi (/kəˈbædi/,[86]/ˈkʌbədi/)[87] is acontactteam sport played between two teams of seven players. It is one of the traditional games of South Asia.[88] In the game, a raider enters the opposing half of the court to tag the defenders and attempt to return within 30 seconds without being tackled. Points are awarded for successful tags, while defenders earn a point for tackling the raider. Tagged or tackled players are temporarily out but can re-enter when their team scores. Raids alternate between teams throughout the game.
Kho kho is a traditional Indian sport that dates toancient India.[89][90] It is one of the most popular traditionaltag games in theIndian subcontinent afterkabaddi.[91] Kho kho is played on a rectangular court with a central lane connecting two poles which are at either end of the court. During the game, nine players from the chasing team (attacking team) are on the field, with eight of them sitting (crouched) in the central lane, while three runners from the defending team run around the court and try to avoid being touched or caught.[90] Each sitting player on the chasing team faces the opposite half of the field that their adjacent teammates are facing.
In the game, one player from the chasing team (the "active chaser" or "attacker") may run around the court to tag (touch) members of the defending team. Each successful tag earns one point, and tagged defenders must leave the field. However, the active chaser is restricted from crossing the central lane to access the other half of the court and cannot change direction once they begin running toward either pole. These restrictions can be bypassed if the active chaser either switches roles with a sitting teammate — by touching them on the back while saying "Kho" — who is facing the other half of the court, or by running behind either pole to switch direction or halves. Each team alternates between scoring and defending, with two turns for each role. Each turn lasts nine minutes, and the team with the highest score at the end of the game wins.[92]
The sport is widely played acrossSouth Asia, and also has a presence in other regions with a significantSouth Asian diaspora, such asSouth Africa andEngland. It is played most often by school children, and is also a competitive sport.[93] The first franchise league for the sport,Ultimate Kho Kho, was unveiled in India in August 2022,[94] and the inaugural World Cup washeld in 2025.
Langdi[a] is atraditional South Asian field sport which combines elements oftag andhopscotch.[96] It was originally played during thePandiyan Dynasty and called "Nondiyaattam" at that time. The teams alternate chasing (attacking) and defending roles in each of the 4 innings of the game, with the chasing team's players restricted to hopping around on one foot, and attempting to score points bytagging as many defenders as possible within the 9 minutes of each inning. It is described byMarathis as a sport with a Marathi ethos.[97]
Langdi is considered to be useful in training for sports likekho kho,volleyball andgymnastics.[98] The National Langdi Federation received national recognition in 2010.[99]
Atya patya (Marathi: आट्यापाट्या) is atraditional South Asiantag sport played by two sides of nine players. It is more popular in rural areas of India. It is more commonly played inMaharashtra, a western Indian state.[100] Atya patya is described as a "game of feints".[101] The playing area comprises nine trenches, coming out of either side of a central trench; a point is awarded to the attacking team's players for each trench they cross without being tagged out by the defensive players within the trenches.[102] The game ends after 4 innings (scoring turns) of 7 minutes each, with each team having two innings to score. It has been described as a game of "militant chase".[103] The sport is played in a relatively small area and requires no equipment, similar to other games indigenous to India such askabaddi,seven stones,kho kho,gillidanda andlangdi.[101]
Chor Police (transl. Thief and Police),[104] also known as Chor Sipahi,[105][106] is an outdoorrole-playing game played by children in theIndian subcontinent. The game is usually played by childrendivided into two teams withno limit of players. One team acts as police and another one acts as thieves within anarrative.[107][108] Police players chase chor (thieves) in an attempt to catch and mark them defeated.
In Oonch Neech if thedenner (tagger) saysneech (down), all players have to go to an elevated area. If he saysoonch (up) then all players have to stay down. Whatever thedenner picks, he has to stay on that platform.
In Dog and the Bone (known by various names in India, such as "Cheel Jhapatta", and more commonly in other parts of the world as "steal the bacon"), there is an object placed in the centre of the field, with two teams placed on opposite ends of the field. One player from each team rushes towards the object to try to take it back to their team; a point is scored either if a player successfully retrieves the object, or if a player tags an opponent who is holding the object before the opponent safely makes it back.[9]
River or mountain, which is known asNadi ki Pahad inHindi, andNadee-Parvat inMarathi and other regional languages, is a game where the field is divided into areas referred to as "rivers" and "mountains". At the start of play, the denner shouts out either "river" or "mountain", with all players then attempting to go to the areas referred to by the denner. While outside of those areas, the players can be tagged and eliminated by the denner.[9]
The game is played on a rectangular field, divided into four equal quadrants, by two teams of two to four players each.[109] The attacking team gathers in one quadrant, and the defending team gathers along the quadrant's borders with the adjoining quadrants. The objective of the attacking team is to enter the other quadrants without being touched by the players of the defending team. If all the members of the attacking team manage to enter all the quadrants, the attacking team wins, and its members shout "Bol Den Goivan Surr!".[110] In anAwadhi variation, they sing "Bol Goiyan Banva Surr" ("बोल गोइयां बणवा सुर्र");[109] if they are touched by the defending team, they lose, and have to stand on the quadrant line as "thieves", and have to sing another phrase.[111]
Chain tag involves the denner tagging other players, who are then required to form a chain with the denner by holding hands. Only the two players at either end of the chain can tag the remaining players (since they have a free hand not trapped in the chain.) The game ends once all players are part of the chain.[9][112]
Also known as Vish-Amrit/Vish-Amrut (Poison-Antidote), lock and key is similar to the Western game offreeze tag, in which the denner(s) can "freeze" opponents by tagging them, with the frozen players' teammates able to "unfreeze" them by tagging them. A unique feature of lock and key is that players may be required to shout out "lock" or "key", as appropriate, when tagging other players.[9][113]
Aankh micholi is the Hindi name forblind man's buff (blindfolded tag).[114]
One player goes around all the other players, who sit in a circle, and eventually drops a handkerchief behind one of them. That player must grab the cloth and then attempt to tag the first player.[115]
Players attempt to run between the four corners of a square without being tagged by the denner, who is in the middle of the square.[75] In aTelugu variation of the game,Nalugu Stambalata, there is a pole in each corner of the square that the players must touch.[9] In Maharashtra, the game is known as "Khamb-Khambolya".[116]
Gella-Chutt (transl. "the king ran away") is a traditional Indian game fromTripura.[117][118] In the game, one team has a king stationed in a "prison", which is at a distance from the "home" area. The goal of the king is to reach home with the help of his teammates ("guards") without being tagged by the opponents.[119]
The denner tries to tag players who can climb up trees to escape; these players can try to touch a stick kept within a circle on the ground in order to become safe from the denner.[120][121] Variants of this game are also known as "Surparambya" or "Surparambi".[122][123][124][125]
Also known as "kiss the stick" or "Soljhapta" in Bengali,[126] this variation of tree-climbing monkey sees the denner attempting to rush back to kiss the stick after tagging another player, while the other players try to thwart the denner by picking the stick up and throwing it away before the denner can kiss it.[127]
Players who are squatting can't be tagged by the denner in this game, but they can only stand up when touched by players who are standing up.[125][116] This game is also known as Uthali.[128]
Players can avoid being tagged in this game by climbing a tree.[128][b]
One player is the "shepherd", and all but one of the players, known as "lambs" or "goats", form a chain behind the shepherd by grabbing each other's waists. The lambs are required to remain in this chain formation. The last player (the "tiger") has to try to capture the lambs by getting around the shepherd, who is allowed to move around. Once a lamb is tagged, they become the new tiger and play restarts.[125][116]
Indian board games have a long history, and have been found etched into the floors and surfaces of ancient temples throughout the country.[129][130]
Carrom is a popular tabletop game in India, enjoyed by people of all ages. Its roots can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent, where it has evolved into a major competitive sport with organized tournaments and federations. Played across households, clubs, and competitions,carrom has grown from being a casual family game to a recognized sport inIndia and around the world.
Chaturanga (Sanskrit:चतुरङ्ग,IAST:caturaṅga,pronounced[tɕɐtuˈɾɐŋɡɐ]) is an ancient Indianstrategyboard game. It is first known from India around the seventh century AD.[131]
Pachisi (/pəˈtʃiːzi/pə-CHEE-zee,Hindustani:[pəˈtʃiːsiː]) is across and circleboard game that originated inAncient India. It is described in the ancient textMahabharata under the name of "Pasha".[132] It is played on a board shaped like a symmetrical cross. A player's pieces move around the board based upon a throw of six or sevencowrie shells aslots, with the number of shells resting with the aperture upward indicating the number of spaces to move.
In addition tochaupar,[133] there are similar games that have originated around the world.Barjis [ar] (barsis) is popular in theLevant, mainlySyria, whileParchís is another game popular in Spain and northernMorocco.[134]Parqués is itsColombian equivalent.Parcheesi, Patchesi,Sorry!, andLudo are among the commercial versions of similar games. Thejeu des petits chevaux ('game of little horses') is played in France, andMensch ärgere Dich nicht is a popular German cross-and-circle game.
Thelambs and tigers game, locally referred as the game of goats and tigers (Telugu:Puli-mē̃ka āṭa,Tamil:Āḍu-puli āṭṭam,Kannada:Āḍu-huli āṭa), is a strategic, two-player (or 2 teams)leopard hunt game that is played insouth India. The game is asymmetric in that one player controls three tigers and the other player controls up to 15 lambs/goats. The tigers 'hunt' the goats while the goats attempt to block the tigers' movements.[135]
Snakes and ladders is aboard game for two or moreplayers regarded today as a worldwide classic. The game originated in ancient India asMoksha Patam, and was brought to theUnited Kingdom in the 1890s. It is played on a game board with numbered, gridded squares. A number of "ladders" and "snakes" are pictured on the board, each connecting two specific board squares. The object of the game is to navigate one's game piece, according todie rolls, from the start (bottom square) to the finish (top square), helped by climbing ladders but hindered by falling down snakes.
Snooker (pronouncedUK:/ˈsnuːkər/SNOO-kər,US:/ˈsnʊkər/SNUUK-ər)[136][137] is acue sport played on a rectangularbilliards table covered with a green cloth calledbaize, with sixpockets: one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. First played byBritish Army officersstationed in India in the second half of the 19th century, the game is played with 22 balls, comprising a whitecue ball, 15 red balls and six other balls—a yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black—collectively called 'the colours'. Using asnooker cue, the individual players or teams take turns to strike the cue ball topot other balls in a predefined sequence, accumulating points for each successful pot and for eachfoul committed by the opposing player or team. An individualframe of snooker is won by the player who has scored the most points, and a snookermatch ends when a player wins a predetermined number of frames.
Pallanguli,[138] or Pallankuli[139][140] (Tamil:பல்லாங்குழி,romanized: Pallāṅkuḻi,Malayalam:പല്ലാങ്കുഴി,romanized: Pallāṅkuḻi,Kannada:ಅಳಗುಳಿ ಮನೆ,romanized: Alaguli Mane,Telugu:వామన గుంటలు,romanized: Vamana guntalu,Odia:କଶାଡ଼ି,romanized: Kasāṛi,Marathi:सत्कोलि,romanized: Satkoli),[141] is a traditional ancientmancala game played inSouth India, especiallyTamil Nadu andKerala. This game was later introduced toKarnataka andAndhra Pradesh in India, as well asSri Lanka andMalaysia. The game is played by two players, with a wooden board that has fourteen pits in all (hence, it is also called fourteen pits, orpathinālam kuḻi. There have been several variations in the layout of the pits, one among them being seven pits on each player's side. The pits containcowry shells, seeds or small pebbles used as counters.[142] There are several variations of the game depending on the number of shells each player starts with.[143]
Teen patti (Hindi) or Tre Patte (Punjabi), (तीन पत्ती, ਤਰੈ ਪੱਤੇ, meaning 'three cards' in English) is agamblingcard game. Teen Patti originated inIndia and is popular throughoutSouth Asia.[146] It originated in the English game ofthree-card brag, with influences frompoker. It is also calledflush orflash in some areas.
The game has its advantages and a culturally determined tie toJanmashtami, the celebration ofKrishna’s birth.[147][148]
Vallam kali (vaḷḷaṃ kaḷi, literally: boat game), also known as snake boat race, is a traditionalboat race held in thePunnamada Lake ofKerala,India. It is a form ofcanoe racing and usespaddledwar canoes. These races typically take place during the monsoon season, from July to September,[149] and are closely associated with theOnam festival.
Hiyang Tannaba (Meitei:ꯍꯤꯌꯥꯡ ꯇꯥꯟꯅꯕ,lit. 'boat race')[150] is a traditional boat race ceremony performed inManipur, India as a part of the religious festival ofLai Haraoba.[151][152] It is generally organized in the month of November at many places including Thangapat (moat).[150][151] The boats calledHiyang Hiren are regarded as invested with spiritual powers and the game is associated with religious rites.[150][153] The Meiteis believe that the worship of the Hiyang Hiren will bring protection from evil spirits.[150]
Kambala involves one person racing a pair of bulls across apaddy field.[154]
Jallikattu (or Sallikkattu), also known as Eru Taḻuvuṭal and Manju-virattu,[155] is a traditional event in which a zebu bull (Bos indicus), such as the Pulikulam[156] orKangayam breeds,[157] is released into a crowd of people, and many people attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's back with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape. They hold the hump for as long as possible, attempting to bring the bull to a stop. In some cases, they must ride long enough to remove flags on the bull's horns or cross a finish line.[158][159]
Jallikattu is typically practised in some regions of the Indian state ofTamil Nadu, specifically in southern Tamil Nadu, as a part ofPongal celebrations onMattu Pongal day, which occurs annually in January.
Polo is astick andball game that is played onhorseback as a traditionalfield sport. It is one of the world's oldest knownteam sports,[160] originating asChovgan (Persian: چوگان) in ancientPersia over 2,000 years ago, and later adopted by the Western world from its modern form developed inIndia.[161][162][163][164]
Antakshari, also known as Antyakshari (अंताक्षरीtransl. The game of the ending letter) is aspokenparlor game played inIndia.[165] Each contestant sings the first verse of a song (oftenClassical Hindustani orBollywood songs) that begins with theconsonant ofHindialphabet on which the previous contestant's song ended.
Fighter kites are known aspatang in India.[166][167] In many others, kite flying takes place mainly during specific festivals particularly the spring festival known asVasant Panchami, duringMakar Sankranti and more recently onIndian Independence Day.[168]
Arm wrestling (also spelled "armwrestling") is a sport in which two participants, facing each other with their bent elbows placed on a flat surface (usually a table) and hands firmly gripped, each attempt to "pin" their opponent's hand by forcing it to the surface. In popular culture, arm wrestling is commonly interpreted as a display of physical dominance, symbolizing superior strength and toughness between two individuals.[169]
Arm wrestling is a popular pastime in India, with India having a professional arm wrestling competition known as thePro Panja League.[170]
Raja Mantri Chor Sipahi (transl. King, Minister, thief and soldier) is a type ofrole-playing game that is a popular pastime in India. It involves four players—each player takes up the role of either the king, Minister, thief or soldier— and the Soldier (Sipahi) has to guess the identity of the thief. Along with other such games, its popularity has decreased in the 21st century.[171]
Bhatukali involves children playing with a mock set of kitchen items, with the intention of being taught how to do kitchen-related work.[172][173][174] Bhatukali dates back to ancient times, as evidenced by its presence in literary works such as theDnyaneshwari andKama Sutra.[175]
Dug dugi is a type of rattle for children to play with. Adug dugi has a core with strings on either side attached to small stone-like objects; once the dug dugi is shaken, the stones hit the core from either side to make sound.[175][176][177]
Children often play with a slingshot (gulel in Hindi), which traditionally was also used for hunting purposes.[175]
Yubi lakpi (coconut football) is a seven-a-sidetraditional football game played inManipur,India, using acoconut, which has some notable similarities torugby. Despite these similarities, the name isnot related to the game of rugby orRugby School in England, it is in fact ofMeitei-Pangal origin, and means literally "coconut snatching".[180] Emma Levine, an English writer on little known Asian sports, speculates:
Dhopkhel, also transliterateddhop khel anddhoop khel (Assamese:ঢোপখেল), is a traditionalball game played in theIndian state ofAssam. The game is played between two teams of 11 on a 125 m × 80 m field bounded by fourflags. The players take turns throwing the ball at the opponent to knock them out of the game, while seeking to catch the ball and avoid being tagged by other players. It is a test of speed, stamina, and acrobatic skills.[182]
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