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KATHMANDU, AUGUST 30
Childhood is a blend of golden memories. We frequently remember those days and become nostalgic. Most of the cases we remember are moments of different childhood games that we played either inside or in front of our homes, streets and small playgrounds with our local friends.
These childhood games, like dandi biyo, guchha, chungi, baagh chal and ghutta,cemented our bondage with friends and surroundings. These traditional childhood games helped enhance our creative thinking abilities and in mental grooming.
These days, most of the children in urban and sub-urban areas are engaged in different gadget-oriented games and entertainment.
Unquestionably, they have missed the true natural moments and pleasures of childhood games that we used to enjoy. Let us for a moment go back to the golden days to take stock of the most popular childhood games in Nepal.
Dandi Biyo has a stick (dandi) measuring about 2 feet long while a biyo is a wooden pin (with pointed ends) that is 6 inches long. The game, played by two or more players, was popular among the youth during the 1980s and 1990s.
Guchha, or marbles, has a special place in the heart of Nepali kids. Basically, it is a game where the players try to score points by hitting at the opponent's marbles. To play this classical game, you need to draw a circle and dig a shallow hole. One player shoots at the marbles of the opponents to knock them out of the circle.
Baagh chal is a tactical game played by two competitors.
It has a specific board or playing area made on a five by five point grid. It consists of four tigers (baagh) and 20 goats. One player's tigers must hunt the goats as another attempts to block its moves.
Ghutta is supposed to be a girl's game. The game involves five stones, normally picked off the ground.
Chungi is played using a ball made up of rubber bands that bounces just right and involves a lot of legwork.
Chyamputee is the ultimate Nepali game. The material is completely Nepali, which is the seed of the gooseberry.
Dhyakki is a game where you draw shapes on the ground and number them. Then you toss a flat stone, called dhyakki, into them. The player hops through those shapes on one leg and collects the dhyakki. Tossing the dhyakki outside the shapes disqualifies the player.
Intu Mintu is the Nepali version of the English game 'Oranges and Lemons'. It requires six or more players. Two captains are chosen, who go to a corner to decide alternate names. They then come back and create a bridge holding each other's palms as the other players pass underneath.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 31 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
