Good ol' games

Indoor or outdoor — games have been an important part of the Indian culture since a long time. With the advent of computers, mobile phones and play stations, most of us have almost forgotten the traditional games, many of which were played by both the young and the old.

To revive these forgotten games, Ancient Living organised an event, where people could play games like Tokkudu Billa, Lakhoti, Puli-Meka and Ashta Chamma among others with their friends and family. Kalyani Gongi, the CEO of Ancient living, feels it’s important to reconnect with these games as they aren’t just another way of passing time. “They also connect us to our friends and family. Kids these days play on computer or phone and don’t get to interact with others. These games help them with personality development as well,” she says.

Sushma Singanamala, a software engineer, feels these games sharpen the player’s mind. “To play games like Daadi, Vamana Guntalu and Ashta Chamma, one needs to plan the moves in advance, like in chess. It is a mental exercise,” she says.

Adding further Sushma says, “Also, in Xbox and playstations, you don’t have any opponents, so you can start the game all over again if you feel you are losing. But, in these games you can’t.”

Suneela Reddy, mother of two teenagers, feels that these games are great stressbusters. “One gets to interact with friends and family. Also, many games need strategic thinking by the players. That is why I stress on my kids playing these games,” she says.

Talking about how these games help in character building, Nyruth Reddy, who is the state football captain says, “While playing on the computer or the phone if I lose, I start the game all over again. But while playing against an opponent, this isn’t possible. So these games help us deal with losing. Also, some games can’t be played individually and need a team, so one learns team work too.”