Kid Games in Punjab

I have tried below to innumerate various ancient games in villages and small towns when there was no electricity, no piped water or Gas. People used to enjoy these games along with their kids and remained healthy by attendingostly outdoor games. 

In spite of modern technologies from radio to television to personal mobile appliances and computers, strangely people still enjoy these games.

Enjoy!

Akharas

Akhara or akhada is a Sanskrit word denoting a place of practice with facilities for board, lodging and education for a particular sect or order. It can either refer to a training hall used by martial artists or a monastery for religious renunciates. Amharas in Punkab are a place where kids and youngs get together and do excercises and old style wrestling.

Gatka

Gatka is a traditional South Asian form of combat-training in which wooden sticks are used to simulate swords in sparring matches.^[1] In modern usage, it commonly refers to the northern Indian martial arts, which should more properly be called shastar vidiyā (from Sanskrit sastra-vidya or "knowledge of the sword"). In English, the terms gatka andshastar vidya are very often used specifically in relation to the Panjabi-Sikh method of fighting. In actuality, the art is not unique to any particular ethno-cultural group or religion but has been the traditional form of combat throughout north India and Pakistan since at least the 6th century BC. Attacks and counterattacks vary from one community to another but the basic techniques are the same. This article will primarily use the extended definition of gatka, making it synonomous with shastar vidya.

Gatka can be practiced either as a sport (khela) or ritual (rasmi). The sport form is played by two opponents wielding wooden staves called gatka. These sticks may be paired with a shield. Points are scored for touches on vital spots. The other weapons are not used for sparring, but their techniques are taught through preset routines.  The Mughal style called fari gatka uses a sword and shield. The Manipuri style, known ascheibi gatka, is usually practiced with a 2-foot leather-encased cudgel which may be paired with a leather shield measuring one metre in diameter. The ritual form is purely for demonstration and is performed to music during occasions such as weddings.

Gatka in Punjab is an ancient martial art which has been thoroughly battle-tested and has existed in northern India for many thousands of years. It is based on the basic principle of unification of the mind, body and spirit in a rhythm of life to train a saint-soldier to be able to defend himself or herself.Although it uses the sword as its primary weapon, many other weapons are available to the Gatka master. Today, this art exists exclusively amongst the Sikhs who have passed down the flamboyant techniques through generations, since their sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind wore the two swords of Miri (temporal, worldly) and Piri (spiritual, transcendental). The Sikhs have been responsible for the revival of this early art ensuring it's survival despite mass persecution of the native population in India by foreign invaders like the Mughals and others for many hundreds of years.

Gatka is a complete martial system which uses spiritual, mental and physical skills in equal portions to help one fully competent in defending themselves and others. It is a system that can only be used in defence as per:

KABADDI

 Kanaddi is a wrestling sport from India. Two teams occupy opposite halves of a small swimming pool or field and take turns sending a "raider" into the other half, to win points by tackling members of the opposing team; then the raider tries to return to his own half. The raider must not cross the lobby at least he touches any of his opponents. If he does so then he will be declared as "out". There is also a bonus line which ensure extra points for the raider if he manages to touch it and return to his side of the field successfully.The word Kabaddi is derived from a Tamil word meaning "holding of hand", which is indeed the crucial aspect of play. It is the national game of Bangladesh, and the state game of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh in India.

Tug of war

It is a game in which two teams pull against each other at opposite ends of a rope with the object of pulling the middle of the rope over a mark on the ground

Hide and seek

Hide-and-seek or hide-and-go-seek is a children's game in which a number of players conceal themselves in the environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one player chosen at random (designated as being "it") counting to a predetermined number while the other players hide. After reaching the number, the player who is "it" attempts to locate all concealed players. The game is an example of an oral tradition, as it is commonly passed down by children to younger children.

Geeta Pathar

This is a girls game. They take 4-5 small pebbles and place them on the back side of the palm an

Chicho Chich Ganerian

Pithhoo Garam

If you have lived part of your life in Punjab and especially in a village, by this time your childhood memories might have come alive. Yes, it does refreshes the sweet memories of ones childhood which takes you back to the years when you had nothing to worry about and the only thing you liked was to play and enjoy the life.

Pithhoo one of the games which is still a big craze in villages of Punjab.

In the game of Pithhoo, as in most sports/games, there are two teams being made which compete with each other. The number of players in each time can be any where from two and more depending upon the number of kids show up to the village ground. The field size is also not defined it can be any where around 1000 sq ft to 10000 sq feet , Usually in villages no one cares about the size of the field.


There is no special equipment required for this game except a soft rubber ball and few flat disc stones (usually 5 to 6 are enough). The stones are placed on each other, thus making a small tower and kept in the center of the playground. One of the team is given a chance to be a striker and the other is called fielder team. The captain members of both the teams stand facing each other at a distance of 10 to 15 feet, and the ball being placed between them, respective team members make queue and line up behind their respective team captain. The game is ready to start now.


The captain of the striker team tries to hit the stone tower with the ball with a direct hit, If the ball does not hits the stones and is caught by any of the opposite team member after a single bounce, the captain is marked out of the game and have to sit outside the field and wait till his team has finished their turn. This way each member tries of the striker team and if is marked out have to sit outside the field, till all members are out, then the opposite team gets to be the striker team. The interesting part, which is the main fun, happens when the ball hits the stone tower, guess what happens ??.


The stones scatter on the ground and everybody can be seen running around the field. At this time the striker team members try to fix the stone tower back without getting hit by the ball. The job of the fielder team is to hit the ball to as many members of the striker team before the striker team members can buildup the stone tower back up.


You could easily see a lot of co-ordination and teamwork being exercised during this chaos by both teams as both the teams strives hard. This chaos ends if members of striker team are unable to build the stone tower back up and get hit by the ball or they successfully build the tower. If the tower is built back, the striker team can accumulate points or can also call any one member of their team from outside of the field is any one was sent out. Once all the members of the striker team are out, then the opposite team gets a chance to be the striker the game starts again.


Now this exciting game is not seen much in cities and big towns, but still can be seen among the kids in villages of Punjab.

Kokla Chapaki

Kokla Chapaki Jumeraat Ayi Jay  Jera Pichay Wekhay Odhi Shamat Ayi Jay  Kokla Chapaki Jumeraat Ayi Jay  Jera Pichay Wekhay Odhi Shamat Ayi Jay  Na Rehna Kisay Pulekhay  Jera Meray Wal Murr K Wekhay  Odhey Sir Wari Aye Seraat Ayee Jay  Kokla Chapaki Jumeraat Ayi Jay  Jera Pichay Wekhay Odhi Shamat Ayi Jay  Na Rehna Kisay Pulekhay  Jera Meray Wal Murr K Wekhay  Odhey Sir Wari Aye Se Raat Ayee  Kokla Chapaki Jumeraat Ayi Jay  Jera Pichay Wekhay Odhi Shamat Ayi Jay  Kumni Aan Pirr De Main Chaar Chaferay (2)  Wall Ditta Hoya Aye Dupatta Hath Meray(2)  Mainu Maahi Enj Takkay Te Poora Wekh Na Sakkay (2)  Akhian Dee Kaisee Mulakaat Ayi Jey  Kokla Chapaki Jumeraat Ayi Jey  Jera Pichay Wekhay Odhi Shamat Ayi Jey  Sochni Aan Maahi Pichhay Kokla Lukawaan (2)  Aap Chupp Ker Kay Mein Wich Beh Jawaan (2)  O Sochi Pe Jaway Ga Mainu Takda Hee Jaway Ga (2)  Meray Hathon Odhi Aj Maut Ayi Jay  Kokla Chapaki Jumeraat Ayi Jay  Jera Pichay Wekhay Odhi Shamat Ayi Jay  Na Rehna Kisay Pulekhay  Jera Meray Wal Murr K Wekhay  Odhey Sir Wari Aye Se Raat Ayee Jay  Kokla Chapaki Jumeraat Ayi Jay  Jera Pichay Wekhay Odhi Shamat Ayi Jay  Kokla Chapaki Jumeraat Ayi Jay  Jera Pichay Wekhay Odhi Shamat Ayi Jay

English Version 

same as "r u sleeping brother john"
rolly polly, rolly polly...
ringa ringa roses...
humpty dumpty sat on a wall.....
london bridge is falling down...
in sub ka bhi kya matlab hai....rythm , phonics, music
waisay aaba say bhi pooch loon gee

So this is how the game is played; one participant carries a whip made out of a dupatta. Dupatta is doubled in such a way that it forms into a rope like shape; hence it does not wound at all. All the others sit in a circle putting their heads between their knees and/or obscuring their view by any mean. The person who carries the whip-like-thing circles around them and sings out loud:“Kokla chapaki Jumeraat aayi hai, jis nay agay peechay daikha us ki shamat ayi hai” meaning “Kokla Chapaki it is Thursday today who looks hither or thither is to be punished”. And then he/she places the whip behind one participant slowly so they can’t feel it, and keeps on circling singing loudly.

If the person behind whom the whip has been placed feels it they pick it up and starts running after the one who put it behind him/her. The main objective is not to capture the guy but to hit him/her with the whip, and for the other one he has to complete a circle and then sit in the spot vacated by the later. If he succeeds the other will have to take turn and repeat the same procedure. If he manages to hit the other then the previous guy will continue their turn and vice versa. Moreover if the guy didn’t feel the whip being placed behind them then the one who placed it there will complete the circle and then pick up the whip to hit the guy and then the turn passes on.

Stapoo

Lattu

Bambaram (in Karnataka/Tamil)/Lattu لٹو (in Urdu) or spinning tops are used to play games in India and Pakistan. Skill and interest in this game is reducing due to other interests taking priority and also due to unsafe nails along with bullying of younger, smaller, poorer kids. This game is more popular among boys and is coming back with safer components and rules. In Andhra Pradesh, Bambaram is played in the name of Bongaralu Aata.

Components of Bambaram:

• Wooden top (Coloring is optional - to make it interesting and attractive)
• Pointed nail for getting the center
• String to get the starting spin (also used for lifting the spinning top)

Kho kho

Kho Kho is a tag sport played by teams of twelve players who try to avoid being touched by members of the opposing team, only 9 players of the team enter the field.^[1] It is one of the two most popular traditional tag gamesof South Asia, the other being Kabbadi.^[2]Apart from South Asia (mainly India andPakistan), it is also played in South Africa.

Rules

• Each team consists of 12 players, but only 9 players take the field.
• A match consists of two innings. An innings consists of chasing and running turns of 9 minutes each.
• Then, 1 team sits/kneels in the middle of the court, in a row, with adjacent members facing opposite directions.
• The chasers end in the shortest time possible.
• The team that takes the shortest time to tag/tap all the opponents in the field, wins.
• then players can take off the field.
• they must sit in a zig zag manner

Marbles

Various games can be played with marbles; any such game can itself be called "marbles"

No 'hits' on other marbles were accounted to any player until (s)he had successfully played his/her own marble into the bunny hole.

"Firing" a marble meant that a player had to flick his/her marble from a stationary position of his hand. No part of the hand firing the marble was permitted to be in front of the position where the marble had been resting on the ground. Using that hand, (s)he would flick or fire the marble from his/her hand, usually with the knuckle on the back of his/her hand resting on the ground, and usually using the thumb of that hand to do so. All shots of the game were conducted in this manner throughout except the very initial pitch towards the bunny hole that commenced the game.

Once a player was able to land his/her marble within the hole, (s)he would immediately then fire his marble at his opponents' marbles. However, if any player hit another player's marble before his/her own marble had been to 'visit' the bunny hole, the act would be referred to as "a kiss"; the game would be over, and all or both players (in the case of two players only) would have to retreat back to the starting line to re-commence the game, without result. This, of course, could be quite annoying or frustrating if a player had already built up quite a few hits on another player's marble! So, most skilled players did not resort to this kind of tactic.

The overall aim was to hit a particular marble 3 times after getting into the hole, then you had to "run away", before the final contact shot was allowed to be played - which was called "the kill". Once a player made a kill on another marble, if the game was 'for keeps', (s)he would then get to keep the marble [bunny] (s)he had 'killed'. The format of playing this game was that each time you successfully hit another player's marble, you were to have another shot - even if it was not the marble you had originally intended to hit.

Of course, the ploy was to hit the particular opponent marble 3 times, and then 'run away' to the bunny hole, because once you rested the marble into the hole, you immediately had your shot again, thus leaving no opportunity at all for your opponent to retreat his/her marble before "the Kill" was made on it.

In the Australian school yard there were three common sizes of marbles. The smallest and most common, about 15 mm in diameter, was simply called "a marble". The two larger, and more valuable sizes were referred to as Semi-Bowlers and Tom-Bowlers, being about 20 mm and 25 mm in diameter respectively. Semi-Bowlers accounted for about 2% of all marbles seen and Tom-Bowlers, about 0.5%. They were used in much the same way as ordinary marbles, although players of some games would not admit them because of the advantage of their larger mass and inertia. Often owner's of these larger sizes were reticent to use them in games for fear of losing them to another player as "keepsies". They were usually the of clear "cat's eye" or milk glass type, just bigger.

Kikkli

Kikkli also spelled as Kikli, is one of the folk dances of Punjabi females performed by two girls holding hands and twirling each other in circle and balancing their positions in circular motions. It is generally popular in young girls and performed in pairs. A variety of songs is used with clapping.

Guli danda

Gilli-Danda is an amateur sport played in the rural areas and small towns all over India and Pakistan as well as Cambodia and Italy. The game is played with two sticks: a large one called a danda, which is used to hit a smaller one, the gilli.

Gilli Danda is known by various other names: it is called Tipcat in English, Dandi-Biyo in Nepali, alak-doulak inPersian, dānggűli in Bengali & Assamese,chinni-dandu in Kannada, kuttiyum kolum inMalayalam, viti-dandu in Marathi,kitti-pul in Tamil, Gooti-Billa orKarra-Billa or Billam-Godu in Telugu, Gulli-Danda in Punjabi, Geeti Danna in (Saraiki, Iti-Dakar in Sindhi, Lappa-Duggi in Pashto and Kon ko inkhmer, the Cambodian language).

Gilli Danda is an ancient sport of India, possibly with origins over 2500 years ago.It is believed to be the origin of Western games such as cricket, baseball andsoftball.

Kite flying

In many parts of India, Basant is observed as a secular holiday, with no celebration attached to it. However, in the Punjab region (including the Punjab province ofPakistan), Basant is celebrated with much gusto and Basant has a distinctive feature. There is a long established tradition of flying kites and holding fairs.

Central/Majha Punjab

Lahore and Amritsar are the traditional areas where kite flying festivals are held. A popular Basant Mela is held in Lahore (see Festivals of Lahore). However, the festival has also been traditionally celebrated in areas such asSialkot, Gujranwala and Gurdaspur.

Historically, Maharaja Ranjit Singh held an annual Basant fair and introduced kite flying as a regular feature of the fairs held during the 18th century.

Malwa, Punjab

The festival of Basant is celebrated acrossMalwa, Punjab where people organize gatherings to fly kites. In areas such asFirozpur, children generally fly kites to mark the auspicious occasion. A large festival is organized at Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib, in Patiala. On that day women generally dressed in yellow garments and men wearing yellow coloured turbans join the festival.

A large fair is organised on the day of Basant Panchmi in the Shiv temple of Bansari and Gudri which is located in Dhuri, Sangrurdistrict. The fair includes swing, rides and food.

Doaba Punjab

The ruler of Kapurthala princely state, Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, started the Basant Panchami fair which is now in its 97th year (2014). People attend the fair at Shalamar Bagh wearing yellow clothes and turbans. In Hoshiarpur, a fair is held at the Boeli of Baba Bhandari where thousands of men, women and children participated and pay obeisance at the samadhi of martyr Dharamvir Hakikat Rai.^[8] Basant in thePunjab is associated with Hakikat Rai who laid down his life to fight for the right of people to follow their religion of choice. At the fair held at the Boeli of Baba Bhandari, it is customary to hold kite flying competitions.