The Gazetteers Department

A FEATURE TO BE NOTED IN THE DISTRICT IS THAT BECAUSE of its peculiar geographical environment the population in villages is sparsely situated with the result that regular getting together of the people in the village for recreational activities is well-nigh impossible. The games, sports and such entertainments popular in this region are either sedentary or occasional. The occasional activities are undertaken only at the time of celebrations of certain local festivals. Akhadas or talims (wrestling houses) are a rarity in the district; a few are found in the northern part. Sometimes we find marriage processions of well-to-do non-Brahmans accompanied by akhadas — a party of persons skilled in performing feats of physical skill, strength and stamina. They give at prominent spots in the way performances of sword-dance, lathi fighting, etc. Lezim dance is indulged in and is only discontinued when other feats are being performed. Training for these performances is usually to be had now-a-days in talims at Bombay, and not locally.

Major Games.

The recreational activities and games in Primary and Secondary Schools, and Colleges in the district are practically the same as in any other district. However, Hu-tu-tu and Langdi of the major Indian games, and Volley Ball of the Western games are the most popular. Of the other major Indian games Khokho, Circle Khokho are played in schools and Lagorya and Viti-dandu outside the school. These games when popularly played are played with regional variations. Standardised forms, however, have been arrived at by institutions like the Akhila Maharashtra Saririka Siksana Mandala which are now widely adopted and strictly observed when the games are played in contested matches.

Minor Games.

There are various kinds of games played by non-school going children; some are given below.

Toys. Nursery games.

In the play activities of infancy and early childhood toys predominate over games. Khulkhula—multicoloured rattles, and toys that make a variety of sound — pipes, whistles, drums and tamborines, easily fascinate babies. These are followed by their keen rival, the doll, and then come the 'toys on wheels'. Children tripping about the house with a pangula-gada or romping about dragging behind them a toy-vehicle attached to a short string is a common sight.

Imitative games.

Games of the ' imitative' or ' make-believe' type, wherein various roles like that of cartmen, horse-driver, music-player, palanquin- bearer, etc., are enacted with fidelity to real life are a particular attraction of early childhood. These games are played with no set rules but with a good team spirit, every player having a part to perform. Ghoda-Ghoda (horse and rider) is played in several ways. Usually two children stand, one (driver) behind the other (horse) and both run forward, the driver holding the ' horse' by its garment. Palkhi (palanquin) is usually played by three. The two facing each other carry the third who sits on the arm-square formed by the two gripping each other at the elbow. Ag-gadi (train) is just a queue of children each holding the garment of the one in front of him. Siva-sivi — the simple chase and tag, golanti — somersault, jhoke — swinging, are the simple games played at this age. Garya-garya-bhingorya is a game of dressing and doll-marriage are favourite recreations of girls at this age. Bhatukali is the game of house-keeping often played enthusiastically by girls with secondary roles given to boys.

A number of chase and tag games are played by children between the age of five and nine. Sankhalici-Sivasivi is a more complex game than the ordinary tag. Andhali kosimbir (blind man's bluff), tapandav (hide and seek) un-un-savli, sat-talya are the different kinds of tag games enthusiastically played at this age. Games of gotya (marbles), bhomvrd (top), patanga (kite) have a great attraction for boys between the age of six and sixteen. Playing at kaji (cashew-nut) wherein boys contest in winning cashew-nuts put in a line by hitting them from a distance with a bhatta (big and heavy cashew-nut) is a popular game in the south of the district.

Team games.

A number of team-games are played with verve and much hubbub by non-school children in later childhood and adolescence; of these some are described below.

Aba-dabi: A soft ball either of rags or rubber is tossed up in air for all to catch and the player who succeeds tries to hit with the ball any other player who tries to dodge. The game can continue indefinitely.

Cendu-phali: It is played with a soft ball of rags or rubber and a small stick which to start with the game, is suspended on two stones. There may be 24 or more players who form into teams of equal strength. After fixing the order of players the two teams stand at about eight feet from the suspended stick on the two sides. A player throws the ball to knock the stick off the stones and the other side tries to catch the stick and the ball 'on the fly'. If either is caught the play is equal and none is out. If the ball without its knocking the stick is caught the bowler is out.

Ghodyas cendu mar (hitting the horse with a ball): The game is played with a soft ball among fifteen to twenty players. Four or five players choosing to be the ' horse' file within a circle each holding the front player's waist, the last player forming the tail and the front one the head of the horse. The rest of the players stand outside the circle each at a uniform distance from the other and try to hit the 'tail' of the horse with the ball. The horse faces the hitters, dodges, even catches the ball and throws it back and tries to save the tail from being hit. If the ball strikes the tail the horse is out and the game starts again with a fresh batch of five forming the horse.

Gup-cup-toba: Players sit in a circle facing in, and the "It" runs round the circle with a toba (a well-knotted piece of cloth) which he places unnoticed behind one of the players. If the player is alert, he immediately picks up the toba and becomes the " It" and runs round the circle to place the toba behind some other player. If the "It" completes one round and reaches behind the player without the latter noticing the toba, he picks up the toba and with it beats and chases the player till he takes one round and resumes his seat. In that case, the same " It" continues to run round and tries to keep the toba behind some other player.

Kurghodi or Ghodeswar (horse-riders), is played by two teams consisting of equal number of boys, one team acting as ghode (horses) and the other as swars (riders), the choice being decided by toss. The 'horses' stand in a circle facing in and each 'rider' rides a 'horse'. The leader rider closes his horse's eyes by one hand and holds some fingers of the other hand before the horse and asks their number. If the horse tells the correct number, all the riders get down and the game is resumed, the teams exchanging their parts.

Kokalya is a game of crude hockey played by two teams trying to push into a "goal' or just beyond a line a hard ball with sticks bent at the striking end. There is a demarcating mid-line and a ' goal' or a boundary marked on each side.

Sar-sar-kathi is a group-game played by boys who stand in a line and each bending forward pushes through his legs a yard-long stick held in his hand as far back as possible. The player whose 'throw' was the shortest is called cor (thief) and he has to get to the place where his stick fell, pick it up, and stand facing the starting line with the stick held in his hand raised above his head. A player strikes at the stick so that it falls away at a distance to the back side of the cor and the rest of the players go on pushing the stick with the sticks in their hands. The cor pursues them. To avoid being tagged the player places the stick in his hand on a stone as the cor gets near. Any one tagged with the stick in his hand becomes the new cor and the game starts afresh.

Suraparatmbi: The game is popularly played by cowherds. From a circle drawn on the ground under a tree a player throws away a stick as distant as he could. By the time the 'thief runs for the stick and restores it back in the circle all climb the tree. The game lies in the players from the tree jumping or climbing down the tree and touching the stick before they are tagged by the thief.

Vagh-Bakari (the tiger and the lambs): One of the players is made the tiger (vagha), another the shepherd (dhangar) and the rest are lambs (bakari). The lambs line up behind the shepherd, each holding the one in front by the waist. The shepherd handles a knotted piece of cloth for the protection of his lambs, and in spite of all the beating he gets the tiger makes repeated efforts till he captures all the lambs.

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