7 Traditional Games and Sports in Kerala
Kerala is known for its variety of sports and games, and each sports event is like a festival, the spirit of which is felt for miles and miles. The beauty of Kerala is enhanced even further, especially as these games exude the tradition and culture of Kerala in many forms.
Let’s take a look at some of the traditional sports and games that are still played in Kerala.
- Kuttiyumkolum
Also known as the Boy and the Cane, this traditional game is played in most villages and other rural regions of Kerala. It bears a marked resemblance to the cricket that we know today.
A game played by children, you need a round stick and a peg chiseled at both ends to play this game. It is this peg that is called the kutti or the boy. A hole is made in the ground in a circle shape.
The game starts with a boy hitting the peg, by raising it from the ground above the hole and striking it to a distance. If any of the fellow players catches the peg, the boy who struck the peg with the stick will be out. If the peg hits the ground, then the player next to it can have a chance at hitting it towards the hole. If it falls into the hole, then it would be considered “run out”. If not, the striker has another go with the stick and the peg.
It is believed that the game originated over 2500 years ago. The game is played in different variations.
2. Pallanguzhi
Though it initially originated in Tamil Nadu, the Pallanguzhi game was a rage in Kerala as well. It was designed to target young children and old people to help improve their hand-eye coordination and to learn to count.
Pallanguzhi requires a wooden board with 14 holes, two rows with 7 holes each. This makes 14 cups in the board. The game needs two players and cowry shells, pebbles or seeds. The rules pertain a certain number of shells, and each player distributes the shells in each hole/cup.
The rules of the game are mainly based on the capture of shells by the winning player. The player, while putting in her seeds shouldn’t have an empty cup after the seeds are over. If she gets an empty counter, then the rival player captures all the seeds, and starts playing.
3. Kalari
Kalari or Kalaripayattu is not actually a game, but a martial art form indigenous to Kerala. It is all about training in combat and is believed to be the world’s oldest martial art. Rumors have it that the art was found by Shiva, Agastya muni or Parasurama.
In the local language, kalari means threshing floor or battlefield. Training is given on how to perform in the battlefield, where are a variety of aesthetic moves, fights and ducks are taught. Kalarippayattu is practiced in various forms in various parts of the state, with slight variations.
4. Mud Football
May not sound appealing for some, because the game of Mud football is played in bogs or swamps by a very energetic team of players. The players would be drenched in mud and would be splashing about in the paddy fields. Usually played by the youth, the game draws a very excited and applauding crowd, whenever tournaments are held.
Normally, the game is played on the flooded paddy fields. If you have no aversion to mud splashing on your clothes, then it’s a real one. The excitement and thrill on the faces of the youngsters make it obvious that they are having the time of the day.
Mud football was initially started in Malppuram, the land noted for its craze for football.
5. Seven Stones
Seven Stones is a game infused with the true culture and charm of Kerala. However, it is a game with stunning resemblance to the game of Lagori. Seven stones are placed in a pile and one of the members of one of the teams will start the game by trying to hit the stone stack.
A member has three chances to hit the stack, and if unsuccessful, has to hand over the ball to the opposing team. A member from the second team will try to hit the opposing team members with the ball. It is almost like dodge ball. The rest of the second team members will be concentrating on replacing the stack with the fallen stones.
6. Kachi/Goli
Goli is a game played with marbles. Players come in with their marbles and they have to hit a selected target using the marbles. The winner of the game gets all the marbles for himself. The game was fairly popular among the rural children and they played in their alleyways.
7. Hide-n-Seek
The Hide-n-Seek is popular everywhere in the world, and is still being played by children. It is probably one of the few games that didn’t go extinct with Western influence.
It is a game wherein a player closes his/her eyes and counts to 100 (or any number of choice) while the rest of the players rush off to hide themselves. The player, after counting, starts searching for the concealed players. This game also has several variations, and gets more exciting when played in rooms in the night.
Conclusion
It was these games that shaped the sportive culture of Kerala. Gradually, as time passed, these games gave way to other modern form of sports, but a few of them are still popular among the children and youth.
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