Independent University, Bangladesh

Department of Social Sciences and Humanities

Course Title : National Culture and Heritage

Course ID : NCH 101

Course Instructor
Mohammad Masud Rana
Assistant Professor
E-mail: mm.rana2012@gmail.com
Cell no: 01922198006
Folk Game of Bangladesh
 Folk Game

Folk Games are popular and traditional games

chiefly played in rural areas and passed along
from one generation to another. Such games are
played for physical exercise and entertainment, at
times in a competitive environment.
Traditional children's games (also called folk games)
are defined, “as those that are played informally with
minimal equipment, that children learn by example
from other children, and that can be played without
reference to written rules. These games are usually
played by children between the ages of 7 and 12, with
some latitude on both ends of the age range.”
 Folk Game

“Children's traditional games (also called folk games) are

those that are passed from child to child, generation to
generation, informally by word of mouth,” and most children's
games include at least two of the following six features in
different proportion: physical skill, strategy, chance, repetition
of patterns, creativity, and vertigo.
Traditional folk games do not include commercial
products such as board games, but do include games
which require props such as hopscotch or marbles.
“'Traditional' games", have, "not only failed to disappear, but
have also evolved over time into new versions.”
"Folk" games are those traditional games passed along
informally from one group to another. 
 Folk Games

Folk Games are traditionally played for amusement

and entertainment. Folk games are divided into three
groups based on the environment in which the games
are played: land, water and sky.
 Games on land

Games played on land are known as games of land.

Games on land predominate and include games that
are played by both boys and girls and those that are
played by only one gender.
 Ayabga-ayanga (the tiger and the goats)

Ayabga-ayanga (the tiger and the goats) is a group

game played by both boys and girls. A large circle is
drawn on the ground. One player plays the role of the
tiger and remains outside the circle, while the other
players play goats and stay inside it. The player outside
recites set rhymes and goes round the circle, trying
to catch the players inside off guard. 
The other players hold him back so that the tiger
cannot take the goat away. The goats taken out of the
circle by the tiger belong to the tiger's side. The last
player in the circle becomes the tiger in the next round.
 Ayabga-ayanga (the tiger and the goats)

One such rhyme used in the game in the Jessore

region is as follows: 'Tiger: Weep, weep! Goats (in
chorus): What are you crying for? Tiger: Lost a cow.
Goats: What sort of cow? Tiger: A red one. Goats:
Does it have horns? Tiger: Yes. Goats; Sing a song.
The tiger then starts dancing and singing: Who took
my cow? Who took my cow? Come here, you who
took my cow. Suddenly he stops short and jumps
forward to drag one of the players outside the circle.
Ayabga-ayanga (the tiger and the goats)
 Baghbandi (capturing the tiger)

Baghbandi (capturing the tiger) a checkers-like game, played on

a board outlined on the ground. The board has 16 squares.
Twenty pieces, known as bakri (goats), are placed in groups of
five at four places on the board. Two bigger pieces, known as
bagh (tiger), are placed elsewhere.
Two players, one taking the side of the tiger and the other taking
that of the goats, start moving their pieces. The goats try to block
the passage of the tiger, by not giving it two vacant positions in a
row so that it cannot advance or jump over.
If the tiger jumps over a goat to the next vacant position, the goat
dies and is removed from the board. If the tiger kills all the goats,
the player with the tiger becomes the winner. If the goats can
block the passage of the tiger, the player with goats becomes the
winner.
Baghbandi
 Bauchhi (the old lady) 

Bauchhi (the old lady) This game requires two courts outlined

on the ground, one rectangular and the other circular, twenty-
five to thirty feet apart from each other. Two teams of eight to
ten players are needed for this game. One player of the team
winning the toss plays the budi (old lady) and remains inside
the circle. The remaining members of the team stay inside the
rectangular court.
The object of the game is for the player of the opposing team to
take the 'old lady' to the rectangle, without being touched. If he
is able to take the 'old lady' to the rectangle, the team earns a
point and the players he touches become out. Variations of the
game are known as budikapati, bau-basanti budir chu etc.
Bauchhi (the old lady) 
 Chikka (tug and trip)

Chikka (tug and trip) This game of physical endurance is played

by two teams consisting of five to seven players. The two teams
line up facing each other across a line drawn on the ground. One
player challenges one of the opposing players by stretching his
hands towards him, in what is known as 'giving hetel (the
handle)'. The other player catches hold of his hands and they
start pushing or pulling in a bid to trip each other.
The one who budges from his position is considered out. If a
team can trip all its opponents, it earns points and starts the next
round. Players also try to trip their opponents with their legs. If a
team can trip all the players of the opposing team, it earns points
and retains the round. The process is repeated by turns.
Chikka (tug and trip)
 Chhadar Khela (rhyming game)

Chhadar Khela (rhyming game) a counting rhyme

game, it is played by boys and girls. The players sit on
the ground, holding their hands open flat. The leader
also holds out one of his/her hands and, touching each
hand on the ground, utters the rhyme: ikdi mikdi
cham chikdi/ chamer beta laksindar/ seje ela
damodar. Everybody waits for the last word to be
uttered.
The player who is touched with the last word closes
his/her hand. The game continues till the last hand is
closed.
Chhadar Khela (rhyming game)
Chhi-chhattar (the kite and the cocks)

Chhi-chhattar (the kite and the cocks) Ten to fifteen boys form a circle,
holding each other's hands. One player stands in the middle of the circle. In
the rangpur areas, the child in the middle is called a 'kite', and the others
'cocks'. The kite tries to break free from the ring formed by the cocks.
He frets and struts and recites the rhyme: chhi chhai ghoda dabai/ ghoda
na ghudi, chabuk chhudi/ chabuk diya marlam badi/ dhula uthe kari kari
(What a horse I ride! Is it a horse or a mare? When I smack it with a whip,
it only raises row of dust). The player then runs out, breaking the circle at a
point where someone is off-guard. The cocks then run after him, and the
one who catches him plays the kite in the next round.
The cocks also recite a rhyme: Chhi chhattar kachur bai/ chyabgda
pyangdar nana hai/ taker upar ayna/ punti machh khay na/ taker upar
gosta/ chhonya dile dosta (What is this? I'm respected as grandpa by
children. My bald head shines like a mirror. I don't eat tiny fish. If someone
can touch my head, I become his friend). A variation of this game is played
in the Himalayan region where it is known as chilla-daoma.
 Chhoa Chhui

Chhoa Chhui : This is a game where you run around and try to catch
someone. The person who gets caught becomes the chor and the chor
becomes the one running around trying to catch all the others. A variation
of this game is Kanamachhi, where the chor is blindfolded and the rest of
the children chant the chorus "Kanamachhi bho bho, jaake paash, take
chho" (“Catch whoever you can”). The blindfolded chor, madly runs around
chaotically throwing his hands around. Another variation of this game is
Borof Pani. Here the chor plays the role of Mr. Freeze. He catches his
victims and screams borof (ice) in order to freeze them. It is up to the other
players to save the frozen ones by tapping them and shouting out pani. This
unfreezes them and they are then free to run around again. However, it is
quite tricky to unfreeze someone since Mr. Freeze will carefully guard his
frozen victims so he can freeze anyone who tries to come to their rescue.
Chhoa Chhui
 Chungakhela (the crackers game)

Chungakhela (the crackers game) an adult game,

played mainly in chittagong, on the eve of SHAB-
E-BARAT. The opposing teams try to hit their
opponents with crackers. Sometimes the crackers
cause burn injuries. The game is spectacular, with
sparks and flashes of crackers, coupled with
deafening sounds, amid cheers from the spectators.
Starting from sunset, the game continues till
midnight. This expensive and dangerous game is
now almost extinct.
 Chhua-chhui (touch-me-touch-me-not)

Chhua-chhui (touch-me-touch-me-not): Two
or more boys or girls usually play this game, one
chasing the other. The child who leads touches a tree
or a wall or any other chosen object. Then they run
fast to the next chosen object so that they are not
caught by the others. In this way they run from one
object to another until they are caught while not in
contact with any of the objects. When the chaser
catches the chased, they switch roles.
 Danguli (tipcat)

Danguli (tipcat) a favourite boys' game played by two teams of

five to six players. A two-foot long stick, known as danda, and a
five- to six- inch stick, known as guli or phutti, are used to play
the game. There is a similar game in Europe called tipcat,
where the longer stick is used to tip the 'cat', the smaller one.
The object of the game is for one side to strike the guli with the
danda. The other side has to catch the guli before it falls. If the
guli is caught, the player who has struck it is out. If the guli isn’t
caught, he continues till he is out. If he is out, the next player in
the team comes in. One team plays after the other. The game is
also known as dangbadi, gutbadi, tyamdang, bhyatadanda etc.
Danguli (tipcat)
 Dariyabanda (stealing the salt)

Dariyabanda (stealing the salt) This is a popular competitive game,

played by two teams composed of five to seven players each on a square
outlined on the ground. A number of small squares are drawn inside the
big one, depending on the number of players. One of the squares is called
gadighar (team's chamber) and the other is called labanghar (salt
chamber).
At the start of the game, the members of one team stay inside the
gadighar while their opponents stand in a way that no one can pass from
one square into another. A member of the team darts forth or dodges past
the players on guard and tries to cross all the cells and return to the
gadighar.
If one of the members succeeds in moving across all the squares without
being touched by the opposing team, his team earns points and wins the
round. But if he is touched by the players of the rival team, his team loses
the round. The other team then starts playing. At the end of the game, the
points earned by the opposing teams are added up to decide the winners.
Dariyabanda (stealing the salt)
 De Pakhal (turn him around)

De Pakhal (turn him around) a game of formulaic questions

and answers, played mainly by cowherds. One boy holds
another around the waist and asks him a question. The boy
then lifts up his head and answers the question.
One such rhyme popular in the Jessore region is as follows:
teke re/ ki re/ kane giili?/ Shvashur badi/ ki dekhe eli?/ sholir
pona/ dharli ne ken?/ chhabal kole, tor chhabaler nam ki?/
apang dulal, tor nam ki?/ budo gopal, de pakhal (Hi, there!/
What's up?/ Where have you been?/ To my in-laws./ What
have you seen? Young fish./ Why haven't you caught them?/
'Cause I've my boy in my hands./ What's his name?/ Apam
Dulal./ What's your name?/ Budo Gopal./ De Pakhal). As soon
as the boy utters the last line, the rest of the boys grab him by
the hand and start whirling him around.
 Ekka-dokka (hopscotch)

Ekka-dokka (hopscotch) also known as satkhela and chiriya in some

regions, is chiefly played by girls across the country. The game is played on
a rectangular court drawn on the ground. The rectangle is further divided
into four or six rectangular or square cells. At some places, the fourth or
sixth cell is split into two and is called the 'rest'. The cells are known in
order as ekka (first), dokka (second), tekka (third), chaukka
(fourth), pakka (fifth) and lasthi (sixth). Each player has a marker,
either a piece of flat stone or potsherd, known as chada, ghunti, diga,
khopla etc.
One player at a time tosses her marker into a cell and starts hopping from
one cell to the other. The object of the game is to throw the marker into the
consecutive cells, pick up the marker and hop through all the cells. If the
piece rests on a line or falls outside the boundary of a cell, the player loses
her turn. She is followed by the next player. The player who advances her
piece successfully through all the cells wins the game.
Ekka-dokka (hopscotch)
 Ekka-dokka (hopscotch)

The rules of the game vary in different regions. In some regions, the
player places the stone to her forehead and, with her face upward,
hops from one cell to the other. If her foot touches a line, she loses the
round. In some other regions, when the player is passing the last cell,
she throws back the stone without turning her head or looking back.
Elating Belating (Hello, there!)  a game mainly played by girls. Two
teams position themselves along a line drawn on the ground, facing
each other.
At the start of the game, one of the teams advances two steps forward
and recites the first verse of the rhyme, elatim, belatim and steps back.
The other team then takes two steps forward and says ki khabar aila
(What's the news?). The game progresses until one team utters the last
verse: niye yao balikake (Take away the girl). The other team then
tries to take away one of the opposing team's player. The game is
decided by whether the team can retain its player or is forced to give
her up to the other team.
 Gaigodani (tending the cows)

Gaigodani (tending the cows) a game played by cowherds while tending

cows. The sticks of the cowherds are the playing objects in the game, which
is best played in wet, sticky mud. The game involves four or five boys in a
round. One player flings down his stick so that it sticks in the mud. The
next player tries to knock down the first player's stick or to fling his stick so
that it is parallel to the first stick.
If he succeeds in doing any of this, he wins both sticks. But if he fails, the
first boy takes up his stick and plays again to win the second player's stick.
The winner then tries to win a third stick from the third player. When he
wins all the sticks, he starts throwing the sticks away one by one and sends
the owners to look for theirs. In the meantime, he hides his stick.
When the players find the stick of the winner, they touch it with their
sticks. The one who touches the stick last becomes the gai (cow) and, as a
loser, begins the game. This game is known as phalakhaut
in MYMENSINGH.
 Ghuntikhela (game of dice)

Ghuntikhela (game of dice) Chiefly played by girls,

this game is played with five small pieces of
stone. The largest piece is called dag (the big one).
As in the cowries game, the dice are first rolled. If the
dice touch each other, the player loses. If the roll is
perfect, the player picks up the big one, throws it up
and catches it in the air before it falls to the ground.
If the player fails, she loses her round.
Ghuntikhela (game of dice)
 Golap-Tagar

Golap-Tagar a team game, with an equal number of players on both sides,

and played by both boys and girls. The chiefs of the teams are called 'kings'.
The teams stand fifteen to twenty feet apart, separated by a boundary. At
the start of the game, the king names his players after flowers or fruit.
Then the king blindfolds one of the players of the opposite team and calls
one of the players of his team by their flower or fruit name, for example,
'Come, my Rose', or, 'Come, my Jasmine'. Then Jasmine or Rose goes over
and flips the player on his forehead. The blindfold is then opened and the
player has to guess who touched him on his forehead.
If he succeeds, he jumps ahead, and if he fails, the opponent's player does
so. The game continues till one team captures the land of the other. The
opposing team members then lift the winning king across the boundary. In
another variation of the game, the members of the losing team carry the
winning players piggy-back across the boundary. The game is also known
by other names such as baurani, chadankhela (Murshidabad),
tukatuki (Mymensingh) etc.
Golap-Tagar
 Gollachhut (touch and run)

Gollachhut (touch and run) an outdoor game where a stick is planted in a

small hole, thereafter called golla (circle) or the centre of the game. A tree or a
stone twenty-five to thirty feet from the centre is fixed as the goal. The main
objective of the game is for each player to take turns to run and touch the
goal. In Bangla, chhut means 'to run', and hence the name gollachhut. The
game is played between two teams of equal members, either five or seven.
The team leader in the game is called goda (chief). The chief circles round the
stick in the centre holding it with one hand and holding a player with the
other. The other players hold hands and also circle the stick with the chief. At
some point, the last player in the chain frees himself and runs towards the
goal and touches it. Players from the opposing team lie in wait at different
points to touch the running player. If they succeed in touching him, he is
considered out. The last to run is the chief himself. The teams play the game
by turns. This game is mainly played in DHAKA, FARIDPUR,
Madaripur, BARISAL and Khulna districts.
Gollachhut (touch and run)
 Gulikhela (game of marbles)

Gulikhela (game of marbles) Probably played in all countries, the

game uses small glass balls or marbles as the playing objects.
Marbles were first imported during the British regime. Previous
to British rule, earthen balls were used in the game. In rural
areas, boys play with earthen balls even these days.
Two or more boys play the game standing along a line nine to ten
feet from a hole in the ground. The player whose turn it is takes
everyone’s marbles and throws them towards the hole. He gets
the marbles he is able to roll into the hole. He then tries to hit the
other marbles one by one with his own marble. If he succeeds, he
owns that marble as well. If he fails, or if he touches the other
marbles, he has to give away one marble in punishment. He also
loses his turn to the next player.
Gulikhela (game of marbles)
 Ha-du-du (game of tag)

Ha-du-du (game of tag) This game, which now enjoys the

status of the national game, is popular across the country. It
is played by both children and adults, in two teams of about
10 players. A court is outlined on the ground measuring 20
feet x 30 feet. The teams station themselves on each side of
the court.
When the game starts, one player, taking a deep breath and
making a continuous sound, darts forward into the rival
players' side and tries to touch as many players as he can
without losing his breath. If he succeeds in getting back to
his side, the players he has touched 'die'. The team that has
touched most players wins.
Ha-du-du (game of tag)
 Kadi khela (cowrie game)

Kadi khela (cowrie game) a game played by girls, singly or in teams. Four

cowries of the same size are needed for this game. The player holds all four
cowries in her hand and rolls them so that they fall close to each other but do
not touch. She then taps one cowries to hit another. She does the same with the
next pair. If she succeeds in hitting each cowries, she earns two points,
otherwise she loses her round. If the cowries touch one another, the player loses
her turn.
Additionally, if the cowries fall flat, the player earns one point. If they fall on
their curved backs, each player hurries to pick up the cowries and kiss them to
earn one point for each cowries. The player who first earns 20 points wins
the game. This is the first phase of the game. In the second phase, the loser
tries to guess whether the winner has an even or odd number of cowries in her
hand. If the loser guesses right, she gets the cowries and if she guesses wrong,
the winner earns points according to the number of cowries in her hand. The
winner then hits the loser on her back with her fist according to the number of
points she has earned.
Kadi khela (cowrie game)
 Kanamachhi (literally, blind bee; blind
man's buff)

Kanamachhi (literally, blind bee; blind man's buff) is played

by both boys and girls. One player has a scarf tied round his
or her eyes. The others move like 'bees' around the 'blind'
player. The bees lightly strike the blind player, reciting the
rhyme: kanamachhi bhon bhon, yake pabi take chon (Oh
buzzing blind bee! Touch us if you can!). The blind player
tries to catch or tag one of the bees, responding with the
verse: Andha gondha bhai, amar dos nai (I'm blind, don't
blame me if I bump against you). The player tagged by the
'blind' player plays the blind bee in the next round.
This game is also popular in Europe as 'blind-man's
bluff'. In another variant of the game, known as lyangcha
(the lame man), one player acts the 'lame man' and hops on
one leg to catch others.
Kanamachhi
 Kumir danga (the crocodile and the bank)

Kumir danga (the crocodile and the bank): This is also an outdoor

game. It can be played in a park or where part of the ground is higher.
The terms used in the game are danga (land) and kumir (crocodile), the
person who has to catch the other players. The game requires four or
more participants, out of whom one is the kumir. All the participants stay
on the danga (a designated area) and the kumir remains in the ‘water’
(the rest of the area). Whereas the members of danga try to roam around
in the ‘water’, the kumir would not let the other players cross or stand in
his or her area (water). If any of them is caught by the kumir in ‘water’, it
is their turn to act as the kumir. The game is simple and enjoyable if the
participants do not stick to their places for long and keep moving
frequently from ‘land’ to ‘water’ and vice versa. You can help your mates
by diverting the kumir’s attention by entering his/her area and teasing
him/her while they cross over into each other’s area. 
Kumir danga (the crocodile and the bank)
 Lathikhela (club game)

Lathikhela (club game) teaches self-defence with sticks. Until recently, the

zamindars of Bangladesh employed a group of lathials (stalwarts wielding
sticks) for security. In the char (shoal) lands, people still take possession of
chars through stick fights. During MUHARRAM, lathials demonstrate their
prowess and mettle in this game.
The sticks used for this game are four and a half to five feet long, and are often
smeared with oil. Players manoeuvre their respective sticks around their body
with stunning agility. Only sturdy youth take part in the game. In north
Bengal, there is a similar game called chamdi, played at the time of Eid.
Lukochuri (hide and seek)  A team game, played by eight to ten players, with
one of them playing the king. One player is chosen as the thief. The king
covers the eyes of the thief with his hands while the other players hide
themselves. After a while, the king frees the thief, who tries to find the players,
while the players try to touch the king without being touched by the thief. A
player who is touched by the thief becomes the thief in the next round. It is
also known as palapali (hiding) in the regions of Jessore, MADARIPUR etc. In
some areas, the game is customarily played by newly-married couples on their
wedding night.
Lathikhela (club game)
 Lattoo (top)

Lattoo (top): When a boy grows up slightly, he

learns the skill of the spinning lattoo (top). A lattoo is
a beautiful pear-shaped toy of wood top made of
wood (plastic ones are also available), with a metal
pin at the bottom. This is set into motion by aid of a
string, turned around the round surface of the top,
with a hard jerk and releasing onto a hard surface to
spin. The boy whose lattoo moves the longest wins
the game and gets a chance to spin the
lattoo of the loser. This is a game which can also be
enjoyed alone for hours. 
Lattoo Game(top)
 Lukochuri (hide-and-seek)

Lukochuri (hide-and-seek): It is very simple. A

group of children often play it. They decide by lots
who is to be/are to be, the police and who the thief
(chor). The team of thieves is given time to hide
themselves. Then it is the duty of the police to catch
the chors. It is played from a very young age, first at
home and then with friends outside. As soon as
a chor is caught, the person who catches him
shouts Chor! Chor! to indicate that he has been
caught and is out of the game. A version of this game
is chor police.
Lukochuri (hide-and-seek)
 Mogalpathan (draughts)

Mogalpathan (draughts) also known as solaghunti,

is a checkers-like game, with sixteen pieces on each
side. The game is played with two additional
triangular courts at both ends of the baghbandi
court. The players place their pieces in the squares
and move their pieces forward one position at a time.
If a piece jumps over his opponent's piece to the next
vacant position, the opponent's piece dies and is
removed from the game. The one who kills the
opponent's pieces first wins the game.
Mogalpathan (draughts)
 Nunta (count till seven)

Nunta (count till seven) In this team game, one player

becomes the owner of a large circle outlined on the ground.
At the start of the game, everybody remains inside the circle
excepting the owner, who remains outside. The owner goes
round the circle reciting nunta, a rhymed formula. When he
finishes reciting the rhyme once, the players inside cry out
'one'. When the owner finishes reciting the rhyme for the
seventh time, the players inside rush out of the circle and
the owner takes possession of the circle.
Nunta is also known as kutkute khela in the Jessore and
khulna regions. In that variation, the owner cries out
kutare while others count ekre, duire, tinre etc.
 Openti Bioscope

Openti Bioscope  is mainly played by girls. Two

players face each other and touch their arms to form
an arch. The other girls pass under the arch in a
circular path reciting a rhyme until they come to the
last line: amar nam Jadumani, yete habe anekkhani
(My name is Jadumani, I have to go a long way).
When the last line is uttered, both the girls bring
down their arms on the girl passing under the arch at
that moment. All the others then rejoice, holding the
girl aloft.
Openti Bioscope
 Putul Khela

Putul Khela Playing with putul or dolls is universal.

Apart from treating DOLLS as little babies to be fed
and put to sleep, girls learn social rites and rituals
through playing with dolls. A favorite game in
Bengal, as in other parts of India, involves doll
weddings. Putuler Biye (The Doll's Marriage) by kazi
nazrul islam is a short play which describes a doll
wedding.
Putul Khela
 Rajar Kotal (king’s constable)

Rajar Kotal (king’s constable)  a team game played by both boys and

girls. The players sit in a circle, holding hands. One player, the king’s
constable, stays outside the circle. The game begins with him going
round the players, reciting the rhyme: kantar pichhe ke ghure? rajar
kotal/ kiser janye? ek chhadi kalar janye/ kal ye niya gechhila? ghoday
mute diyachhe/ dhuya dhuya khao ni? chhi! hak! thu!! tabe ek chhadi
niya yao (Who’s behind me? The king’s constable. What for? For a
cluster of bananas. Did you not take one yesterday? Horses pissed on
them. Eat them after washing. Wack! Wack! Then take a cluster from
here).
The constable then pretends to cut down a cluster of bananas and
takes away one of the players. The constable begins circling them
again, chanting the same rhyme. The game continues till the constable
takes away all the players.
Raja-Mantri-Chor-Sipahi (King-Minister-Thief-Soldier)

Raja-Mantri-Chor-Sipahi (King-Minister-Thief-
Soldier): Chits are made for raja (1000 points), mantri (500
points), chor (0 points) and sipahi (100 points). These chits
are then thrown in the middle and four players pick one each.
The one who gets the chit with ‘raja’ written in it then exclaims
‘Who is my mantri?’ The mantri responds, and he/she is then
asked by the raja to identify the chor from the remaining two
players. If the mantri guesses correctly, then he/she retains
the points; else, the points are surrendered to the chor. Each
round continues like this. The player with the highest points
wins in the end.
Raja-Mantri-Chor-Sipahi
 Rumalchuri (stealing the handkerchief)

Rumalchuri (stealing the handkerchief)  mainly played by

young children. One child plays the part of the thief. The
others sit in a circle. The child playing the part of the thief
goes round the players and quietly leaves a handkerchief at
the back of someone. If the player behind whom the thief
has left the handkerchief senses what is happening, he/she
springs up and exchanges places with the thief.
Otherwise the thief continues to go round till he/she
reaches the player with the handkerchief. The thief then
thumps the player on his/her back. The player then has to
play the part of the thief. The game is known as mudakhela
in Kishohreganj.
Rumalchuri (stealing the handkerchief)
 Satchada (seven tiles)

Satchada (seven tiles) a team game with an equal

number of players on both sides, played with seven
potsherds or flat stones. The stones are placed one
on another. A player of one team stands ten to twelve
feet away and tries to dismantle the tower of stones
by throwing a rubber or tennis ball towards it. The
players of the other team try to set it up again while
the player who had thrown the ball now tries to hit
them with the ball. If she succeeds in hitting a player,
the player is out.
Satchada (seven tiles)
 Satkhola (dice in seven holes) 

Satkhola (dice in seven holes)  is a game of two players. Two

rows of seven small holes are made in the ground and seven
tamarind stones are placed in each hole. One of the players starts
the game by moving his stones. He picks up the stones from one
of his holes and then drops them one by one into the successive
holes. When he finishes distributing the stones, he takes up all
the stones from the next hole and does the same again.
If the last stone from the hole falls into one of the player's empty
holes, he takes possession of all the stones of the following holes.
But if two holes are empty after the hole where the last stone
falls, then he loses his round. The opponent plays in the same
way.
 Soljhapta (kissing the stick)

Soljhapta (kissing the stick)  a game from Murshidabad, is played by

cowherds in mango or litchi orchards. A toss decides the thief, who
places a stick on the ground and stands touching one side of it. Other
players station themselves in nearby trees. The thief then tries to touch
one of them and rushes back to the stick to kiss it. If he succeeds, the
player he has touched becomes the thief in the next round.
The game is also known as gachhchhuya gachhchhuya in
Mymensingh and dagare daga in Vikrampur. In the gachchuya
gachchuya variation, a tree takes the place of the stick in the game. One
of the rhymes recited in this game is about sylvan life: gachhgchuya re
gachhchhuya/ gachh kyare? bagher dare. bagh kai? matir tale/ mati
kai? ei to/ tora kay bhai? sat bhai/ ek bhai dibe? chhuinte parle nibe
(Tree-climber, tree-climber, why are you up in the trees? For fear of the
tiger. Where's the tiger? On the ground. Where's the ground? Here it is.
How many brothers are you? Seven brothers. Will you give me one?
Take me away, if you can).
 Games in water 

Those played on water, such as swimming and boat-

racing, are games of water.  Apart from swimming and
boat-racing, water games include catching and tagging
games.
 Boat-race

Boat-race  an ancient and traditional folk game,

often played competitively on the occasion of fairs
and pujas. As the young men ply their oars,
musicians beat drums and play other percussion
instruments to encourage the punters. The boats
used in race do not have masts or sails. The agility
and strength of the punters and the helmsman are
the deciding factors in the game.
Boat-race
 Holdug (tag me in water)

Holdug (tag me in water) played by boys while

bathing in rivers or ponds. The boy who wins the toss
takes some water in his hand and asks questions
which others answer: eta ki? dudh/ eta ki? tyal/ eta
ki? marich/ bap bale dharis (What's this? Milk. What's
this?/ Chilli. Catch it if you can). As soon as he
finishes the formulaic rhyme, he dives and others try
to find him. The one who touches him first becomes
entitled to question the others in the next round. The
game is played by turns. This game is known as malai
in Mymensingh and hattihatti in Noakhali.
 Jhappuri khela 

Jhappuri khela  a group game played by boys. The

players stand in waist-deep water in a pond, forming
a circle. One of them holds a fruit that floats on
water. He throws the fruit up and everybody rushes
to catch it. The game is also known as tai tai khela in
some regions.
 Panijhuppa (skimming the pebbles)

Panijhuppa (skimming the pebbles)  In this game,

boys or girls try to skim pebbles or potsherds over
the surface of the water. The player who skims the
pebble farthest is the winner. The game is also
known as kholamkuchi khela (game of potsherd)
in some regions.
Panijhuppa (skimming the pebbles)
 Lai khela (find me out)

Lai khela (find me out)  a group game played by boys. The word

lai is derived from nabhi, the Bangla word for 'navel'. A boy,
standing in chest-deep water, asks, amar hate ki? jalai ek dube
talai/ tore yadi pai/ ek gerase khai (What's in my hand? Nothing
but water. Under the water in a dive. If I can catch you, I’ll eat you
in a swallow). He dives saying this and the other players try to
find him.
If he can avoid being touched, he earns a point. If he loses, the
one who catches him begins the next round. panijhuppa
(skimming the pebbles).  In this game, boys or girls try to skim
pebbles or potsherds over the surface of the water. The player
who skims the pebble farthest is the winner. The game is also
known as kholamkuchi khela (game of potsherd) in some regions.
Lai khela (find me out)
 Flying Games /Games of Sky

Flying kites or pigeons are games of sky.

 Flying Kites

Flying Kites is popular in Bengal as in other parts of

South Asia. As soon as the weather turns dry and
windy, boys start flying kites. Both children and
adults participate in kite-flying competitions, during
which the participants try to cut the strings of other
kites. Accordingly, the kite strings are coated with
glue and powdered glass so that they can easily cut
the strings of their rivals.
 Flying pigeons

Flying pigeons: Though there are varieties of

pigeons, only girobaj pigeons are used for flying.
There is also a game of hunting pigeons with
pigeons. 
Chaka/ Rolling ring
Chala Dour (Sack Race)
Pawn Game (Dappa khela)
Iching Biching/ Jumping game
Hari Patil khela
Dori Laf khela
 Why children must play physical games…

These are just some of the more popular ones. There is no end to the number
of these types of games and each can have its own variations. Children like to
run, play, laugh and enjoy themselves. Hence, playing games comes naturally
to them, and they should be proactively motivated to go outside and play,
instead of being indoors all the time. Games involving much movement and
running satisfy younger and older children’s need to move and so develop
their skills. Moving together, paying attention to one another, and adapting
themselves to one another are skills that are developed by playing different
types of games. 

Children play a variety of indoor and outdoor games. These games also have a
rich cultural and heritage value. They are an important vehicle for passing on
some ancestral knowledge to posterity. According to Edgardo Civallero, “a
people’s intangible heritage is composed by the non-material part of its
culture: tales and narratives, games and songs, music and all the knowledge
usually transmitted by oral or sound means.” 
 Concluding remarks….

Thus, we see that games are a source of moderate

exercise, either physical or mental or even both, for
children, and are essential for their health and
development. On top of this, they constitute a source
that develops group and family sense necessary for
their social well-being.