The games we played

While visiting an aunt’s place in Pabna, at the age of 12, I first heard about the game known as ‘Golla chhut’ from a cousin named Shanto.

I was overcome with curiousity. I could not sleep properly that night and wished that dawn would break soon. The next morning I played the game with Shanto and his friends. The love for the game has lived with me till this day.

A few days back, I visited Pabna again on the occasion of Eid. This time around, I saw a few boys playing cricket and football. This new generation are strangers to the existence of games such as Golla chut, kanamacchi, and so many others which can be equally appealing to them given the amount of ingenuity and athleticism that most of these games require. Now, almost a decade after my introduction to Golla chhut and the whole array of our traditional games, I feel compelled to look back on them and reintroduce them to our readers.

Kanamachhi

Kanamachhi is a game from the ancient times where a boy or a girl is chosen as the leader of the game, thus being called the Raja or Rani. The other players in the game tightly blindfold the Raja’s eyes. They then stand surrounding Raja and indicate their position by reciting the rhyme Kanamachhi bho bho jare pash, tare chho.

The nearly blind raja tries to get a hold of the boys and girls, who are moving while reciting. The raja/rani in this case is the Kanamacchi (blind bee). Whoever she or he touches becomes the next Kanamacchi.

Kanamachhi has some resemblance with Blind Cow in Germany, Blind Man Buff of France and Blind Goat in Netherlands. The presence of the game is also noticed in Munda and in the southern area of Madras and in Canada.

Chhi Buri

‘I used to play Chhi buri, Openti Biscope, danggooli and football during the tiffin period at school and during afternoons with my friends,’ recalls actress Sharmily Ahmed, when asked about the games she played as a child. ‘I was hurt on many occasions while playing these games. However, overlooking the pain, I always stood up and joined in again.’

The game Chhi Buri is also known as Bouchhi or Bouachhi in Narsinghdi and other parts of Bangladesh. The game is played between two groups with equal numbers of players. Each group has their separate domain, designated through circles, approximately around 15 to 25 feet away from each other. The two buris, the most important player of each group, place themselves within each of these circles while players of both the teams remain scattered in between these circles and the surrounding area.

The buri of each group needs to run from their designated circle to the other team’s domain, while holding his/her breath and ensuring that none of the opponents get to touch the buri at any point during such a turn. As such, the buri can retreat to her own circle before her breath gives away. If he or she loses the breath outside the circle, then she will be branded ‘pachaile’ thus making her unfit to participate in the ongoing game.

‘Games like Chhi buri, Dariabanda, Danggooli and Kanamacchi were the most popular games for our fourteen brothers and sisters,’ shares veteran actress Ferdousi Mozumder. She adds, ‘Chhi buri was so popular that at times even our father also played with us. We usually played the games in the morning after finishing our studies and in the afternoon till sunset.’

Openti Bioscope

Openti Bioscope is a more popular game for the girls. In the game, two players become the Raja, with the responsibility of selecting a name in their mind. They stand about 1.5 feet away from each other and make an arch with their hands and recite the rhyme: Openti bisocope nine ten teiscope/sultana bibiyana Saheb babur baithak khana/ Rajbarita jetey paan supari khaite, paner aga morich pata, schooler chhobi aka/ amar naam Renu Bala/ golai dibo phooler mala.

During the recitation of the rhyme, the players spin around in the shape of the number ‘8’ and pass underneath the arch. The rajas close the arch down on the last person as the rhyme ends. Then, Rajas will ask him/her the name of a flower of choice mainly Golap or Joba. The player caught declares the name of the flower and is sent to the team of his/her choice. The group which will have the highest number of players at the end will win the game.

The game is more dependent on luck than intellect. It is presumed that this game has been played since the reign of the British, who have a similar game in their homeland, where the rhyme ‘London bridge is falling down…’ is used.

‘This was a very popular game during our childhood,’ says Ferdousi Mozumder. She adds, ‘it was popular in all parts of Bangladesh. There was an English version of the rhyme too, as far as I can remember.’

Kori Khela

Kori Khela is widely played by even younger girls. Two girls play the game with five small stones as the playable items. The girls take turns at juggling the five stones: when one is thrown up into the air, she picks up another from the floor. In such a way, it is required for her to take up four stones.

The second turn requires them to pick up two stones at once as the first stone is thrown in the air. The game progresses in such a way. If someone fails to maintain the continuity in this way, her opponent ends up winning the game.

‘I still wonder how I used to pick up all five koris at the same time,’ ponders singer Fahmida Nabi, while recollecting from her childhood. She continues, ‘it used to feel amazing when I would win. The game teaches balance and increases confidence. I remember learning the game from a grandmother.’

Saat Chara

Saat Chara is still played by teenagers in some suburban and rural parts of Bangladesh. A total of seven pieces of Chara (broken parts of vase) is placed on one another. The players are supposed to take turns at throwing balls toward the charas, while others surround the player and the charas in a circle.

The idea is to hit the charas with the ball. If it has fallen, the pitcher retrieves the ball and starts to throw it at the other players. Whoever gets hit is disqualified from the game. In the meanwhile, the other players need to place the charas in their original positions so that the thrower’s turn ends and they can get their turns.

‘Both boys and girls played Saat chara together,’ says Aly Zaker, actor, television personality and an advertising pundit. He adds, ‘honestly, I used to find great pleasure in throwing the ball at the girls.’

Dangooli (gooldang)

Dangooli is very similar to cricket. It is played by two groups of boys. The game requires two wooden sticks: the dang, being a foot long, and the gooli, being smaller at around four inches.

A line of around 10 feet is drawn and the gooli is hit with the dang beyond the line. Victory depends on the distance the gooli travels.

‘I played Danggooli till classes six and seven,’ says director and actor Salauddin Lavlu. He adds, ‘it was a risky game as the gooli hurt me in the eye. But we still played it as we found it to be very interesting.’

Gollachhut

The size of field for playing Gollachhut depends on the number of participants with each group having any number between four to twelve players. The game is usually played on flat land and on river banks.

Similar to Chhi buri, a domain is sketched where the golla is kept. While the golla cannot escape from the place, his players can encircle him while holding his/her hand, and yank him from out of there. In the meantime, the opposing group will always try to stop players, who lose the gollas grip, by tagging them. The opponents get their chance once this turn ends. The team with the most points win the game.

‘I remember playing Gollachhut with my friends at night on the freshly cut paddy fields, right after harvest,’ shares noted writer Mohammed Zafar Iqbal. He adds, ‘it was really an interesting experience.’

Gari Gari Khela

In winter, when date trees are cut for the dates and the juice, the small children busy themselves with the fallen branches of date trees. Usually one child sits on the broader end of the branch, with lush leaves, while his friends tug the other end of the branch. The branch is pulled in such a way that it creates a vehicle-like experience. In this way, a number of children can take their turns at riding this unique vehicle.

‘I remember playing these games after our family returned from Kolkata to Jhenaidah,‘ informs artist Mostofa Monwar. He adds, ‘most of the time, our elders introduced us to these games. The interesting part of playing gari was when the player pulling the branch yanked it in such a way that the rider would fall. As such, the passenger would always want to hold on to the vehicle tightly so his turn did not end.

Ariful Islam Mithu

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