Indian Games
Introduction:
Moksha Patam is an ancient Indian game on which the modern day Snakes and Ladder game is based on. Moksha Patam was a board game used by religious leaders to teach the differences between good and evil - climbing up the ladders representing good and sliding down the snakes representing evil. During the colonial era, the game made way to England and was renamed as Snakes and Ladders. This 2-4 people game has been popular across generations and can be played by people of all ages.
How to Play:
It is played on a ten by ten square board, numbered from 1 to100; 1 is the starting square and 100 is the end square. The board has numerous snakes and ladders of varying lengths printed on the board. Players also need colored tokens and a single die. The objective of the game is to reach the end of the board, or the 100th square first. The players start with the token at the starting square marked as ‘1’. The players have to take turns in rolling the dice to move the token by the number of squares indicated by the die roll. If the token lands at the base of a ladder one climbs it but if it falls on a square with a snake’s mouth, they come down to the tail of the snake. The player to reach the 100th square first is the winner.
Conclusion:
In this enthralling game, young children learn counting, numbers and sequencing. People of all ages play this game and interact with co-players of varied ages. It teaches the important aspect of ‘luck’ and how it can affect real life through our moves and deeds.
