Old Plays (Vilayaattu) getting lost in Chennai and rest of tamil nadu

I remember in my child hood days, we used to play various games - about not just run around and play, but sit-and-play kind of plays.

Some of them to list are - Paramapadham, Chottan kallu, pallaan kuzhi etc., I could remember only few, but there are more I am sure.

Paramapadham is a game which has a chart or a map kind of sheet which is laid on the ground. Based on the dice's rotation and its number the coin is moved above in the chart. If there is a ladder, the coin climbs up. If there is a snake in the slot, then the coin comes down to the tail. Have you played this? Well, if you have played - you will realize how many of the children are playing today?

Chottan Kallu is played with few stones. It is again a sit and play play. The players throw a stone and catch bunch of stones etc., It is kind of tricky and nice to play - after you are skilled to do the same.

Pallaam Kuzhi is a game with a vessel which has 12 slots I think (correct me, if I am wrong). Tamarind seeds are filled in it and moved around. In fact, I am not able to recollect the game exactly.

Othayaa Rettayaa game is a game where you hide and ask a bunch of items in hand (usually tamarind seeds) and once the partner claims if it is othayaa rettayaa, then you declare and win or loose lot of tamarind seeds.

There are other plays outdoor, which are lost are - Kitti Pullu (Small stick and a longer stick), playing with marbles (Goli Kundu) and 7 Stones (Game played with seven stones).

Well, though I have covered a lot, I might have missed many. Hope this article took many of us back to the good olden days, when we spent childhood and never can be taken back.

A Game that is forgotten as Years goes by - Jallikattu.

I would like to mention about the famous dravidian game - Jallikattu. Alanganallur, a place in Chennai district is a specific place where this game is famous for. In an around chennai, that too specifically villages also sport such games, but to a small extent. Bulls from all over the tamilnadu will be participating and show their strength. Brave men from the age of 15 to 60 will be participating. Some men end up with serious damages and even lose their lives doing such acts.Also I would like to share one of my breathtaking experience in one such game. Dont think that I had indulged in the act of handling the bulls. But on that day I went just as a spectator. I, my brother who is in CA now and my friend went to witness the game. We had a nice spot to view the game of chasing and as time went on, more and more bulls were going and brave men were chasing them. As it was nearing the end of the game, we three decided to move towards our place and were trying to get way out of the crowd. What happened to our surprise is that, we got strangled in a small gap between two houses when crowd were pushing us and suddenly a bull tried to enter a crowd present over there. There was no other go and we were nearly very near to the bull and it was very fierce. Suddenly i caught hold of one of the low lying roof outside one of the house and my brother and my friend got slipped into a thorny bush. But luckily men from the crowd diverted the bull and it went in the other direction. We had a very narrow escape. phooh.
So always play safe.

A Game that is forgotten as Years goes by - Jallikattu.

I would like to mention about the famous dravidian game - Jallikattu. Alanganallur, a place in Chennai district is a specific place where this game is famous for. In an around chennai, that too specifically villages also sport such games, but to a small extent. Bulls from all over the tamilnadu will be participating and show their strength. Brave men from the age of 15 to 60 will be participating. Some men end up with serious damages and even lose their lives doing such acts.Also I would like to share one of my breathtaking experience in one such game. Dont think that I had indulged in the act of handling the bulls. But on that day I went just as a spectator. I, my brother who is in CA now and my friend went to witness the game. We had a nice spot to view the game of chasing and as time went on, more and more bulls were going and brave men were chasing them. As it was nearing the end of the game, we three decided to move towards our place and were trying to get way out of the crowd. What happened to our surprise is that, we got strangled in a small gap between two houses when crowd were pushing us and suddenly a bull tried to enter a crowd present over there. There was no other go and we were nearly very near to the bull and it was very fierce. Suddenly i caught hold of one of the low lying roof outside one of the house and my brother and my friend got slipped into a thorny bush. But luckily men from the crowd diverted the bull and it went in the other direction. We had a very narrow escape. phooh.
So always play safe.