PALLANKUZHI - An extinct traditional game of India

“I had been in my first school for just about 10 days or so, when my teacher sent a note home for my mother to meet her. My mother was so worried about the note that she was at my school the next day much before the appointed time.

She needn’t have worried. My teacher had only called to rave about my excellent motor skills, my excellent hand-to-eye coordination, and the fact that I could do some simple addition as well as some mental maths. All this at the age of 5 years, 6 months, and some days! I was apparently way ahead of the rest of my class. Was I some budding genius, she asked my mother hopefully? My mother, after the first reaction of relief, immediately squashed my teacher’s hopes. No, her daughter was no budding genius. She was just a little girl with an inordinate amount of interest in playing Pallankuzhi with her grandmother, which had led to the development of these skills. What is Pallankuzhi, my puzzled teacher asked?”, Sudha, a blogger based in Mumbai fondly remembers this episode from her childhood, her ‘Inheritance of Love’, her most treasured heirloom - The Pallankuzhi. (Click here to visit Sudha's blog to read the full story)

“Traditional rural games heighten the agility of the mind and of the body,” says Dr. V. Balambal, former Professor of History, University of Madras, who has done research on traditional games.  One such traditional game of India is Pallankuzhi.

Let us now find the answer to the question that Sudhaji’s teacher asked. What is Pallankuzhi?

Pallankuzhi is a native game of India which was more popular much before the satellite era. It was mostly played by Tamil women, both in Southern India and SriLanka.

It has been women's pastime, also a marathon affair during Hindu festivals like Sivarathri and Vaikunda Ekadasi and is also played during the break at workplace. It has been equally interesting for children also. Men sometimes played for gambling.

The term “Pallankuzhi” notes Dr. Balambal means “Pal” — many and “Kuzhi”, pits. The boards come in different shapes and sizes, but basically have seven pits on each side of the boards and the two players sitting facing each other. This game interestingly is played as “Mancala” in many African and European countries” and is used to teach arithmetic in primary classes.Cowries, tamarind seeds, pepper, bean seeds and other grain are used as play pieces. When the game is over, the edible play pieces can be munched! (Click here to know how to play Pallankuzhi)

 (Pictures above and below show people of other countries playing Pallankuzhi)

Prof. Balambal, who has authored the book `Folk games of Tamil Nadu', has traced 11 versions of the game. It is a fun game and the game suitable for all ages is not complicated and helped young ones bond with their peers as well as with the elders.

Though played for entertainment, at a subconscious level the game is credited to have improved memory, mathematical skills. It also has a therapeutic effect on the physically challenged, especially in the coordination of hand movement. Let us now analyse in deep its educational values.

Educational values: 

Character Formation

Pallankuzhi teaches patience. The game teaches direction following, to abide to rules, to play fair and to cope with defeats. They can help with face-to-face social interaction, cooperation and competition, thus improving social abilities.

Cognitive Skills

It improves observation skills. Players need to develop special cognitive skills to distinguish good moves from bad ones. They are exercises, which strengthen memory and concentration.

Evaluating the Logic of Arguments

Pallankuzhi teaches to think analytically, since players must learn to plan and develop strategies. To be successful one has to foresee what will happen after several moves in advance. The game forces the players to anticipate their opponent's next moves. They have to put themselves in the position of someone else; otherwise they can be beaten very easily.

Mathematical Insight

Pallankuzhi helps with mathematical thinking as one has to keep track of the number of stones in each hole. They help with calculation skills, memory and attention.

Motor Skills

This game aids people in counting and also every time you drop the coin or swipe the cavity, the nerve ending on your fingertips gets activated which developed not just motor skills but also sensory skills like visual skills and hand/eye co-ordination.

(In picture: Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh wracks his brains over a game of Pallankuzhi)

PRESERVING FOLK TRADITIONS

They reflect a way of life that is fast vanishing and needs to be recorded. They reveal the artistic instincts of simple and unlettered folk. They show how ordinary objects and eco-friendly material can be used to provide recreation and respite from hard work.

These folk games have been a source of endless enjoyment to the rural people and continue to be played today, though many of the traditional games are giving way to television and urban imported games such as cricket and football. There is much ingenuity at work here. These games can be fashioned by digging holes in the sand or drawing lines and squares on walls or floor. The coins are from Nature's bounty — shells and sticks, seeds and stones.

 Pallankuzhi has fascinated foreign researchers keen on unravelling its many anthropological and social aspects. 

It is sad and ironical that while there is international interest in this near-forgotten folk game, Pallankuzhi evokes very little enthusiasm here.

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Source:  

http://tamilandvedas.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/pallankuzhi-mancala-mystery/

http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/20/stories/2006092016770200.htm

http://mancala.wikia.com/wiki/Education

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/04/06/stories/2006040600760500.htm