Seven stones

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Seven stones
Dabba Kali2.jpg
A game of Dabba Kali in Kerala
Setup timeless than a minute
Playing time3 minutes
ChanceLow
SkillsRunning, Observation, Speed, Strength, Throwing and concentration
Seven stones game Pittu.JPG
Seven stones game
Kids playing Lagori in a Bangalore street

Seven stones (also known by various other names) is a traditional game from the Indian subcontinent involving a ball and a pile of flat stones, generally played between two teams in a large outdoor area.

Contents

History

Seven stones is one of the most ancient games originating from the Indian subcontinent. Its history dates back 5,000 years ago to the Bhagavata Purana, a Hindu religious text, which mentions Lord Krishna playing the game with his friends. [1] This traditional sport has been played for the last 5 millennia.

Through cultural exchange and migration, the game has made its way to various parts of Asia, such as Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. The British Empire's colonization process introduced the game to various parts of Africa, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. Because the game is now played in over 30 counties, the rules have been adjusted based on where the game is played, however the fundamental rules have remained the same. [2]

Gameplay

Gameplay varies based on geography and cultural adaptations, but the fundamental rules are as follows. A member of the attacking team (the seekers) throws a ball at a pile of seven stones in an attempt to knock them over. If a seeker fails to knock over at least one stone within a certain amount of tries, it becomes another team members turn. The objective of the seekers is to try and restore the pile of stones while staying safe from the defending team's (the hitters’) throws. The hitters' objective is to hit or touch the seekers with the ball before they can reconstruct the stone pile. If the ball touches a seeker, that seeker is out and the team which the seeker came from continues, without the seeker. Points are awarded to the seekers if they are able to restack the stone pile and hitters receive points for eliminating the seekers. The round is completed when the stone pile is reconstructed or the hitters eliminate all of the seekers.[ citation needed ]

Additional rules

Alternative names

Olapanthu - ball made of coconut leaves - used to play the game in Kerala kuttttik[?] kllikkaa[?] upyoogiccirunn oolppnt.jpg
Olapanthu - ball made of coconut leaves - used to play the game in Kerala

In other parts of India, the same game is known by several other names:

Similar to India, the game is identified differently in various countries, but the spirit of the sport remains the same.

Modern day

Not very long ago, kids all around the country would come together on a field to play from a plethora of outdoor games. While football and cricket were the most commonly played games, ancient and traditional Indian were also played like Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, and Gilli Danda. [1]

As time passed by, most of these traditional games began to fade away and very few remained. Kabaddi, for example, became a global phenomenon after being pushed with the Pro Kabaddi League. A game that no kid talked about 7 years ago, is now being enthusiastically watched and played by almost every child of this generation. Fortunately, Kabaddi is not the only traditional sport who gained international popularity. Lagori, which was played a lot by the youth back in the day, has also begun to make its way to the international circuit. [9]

Today, Lagori is played by at least 30 nations across the world. The game has gradually gained a considerable amount of global prominence. However, India is the epicentre of the development of the game on with a bigger platform and a wide outreach to contemporary audience. The Indian Lagori Premier League that was held in November 2017 had gathered great momentum across the nation which was organised by the Amateur Lagori Federation of India. [10] They have also made efforts to push the game to several states of India as well as in other countries, playing a pivotal role in popularising the game. The second Lagori World Cup (first being played in 2015) is soon going to take place later this year, several nations including Indian, Bhutan Hong Kong, Brazil, Turket, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal will go face to face. [11]

The rules have not changed that much over the years, however there have been some changes brought in the way the game is being played. The following fundamentals were laid down by the International Lagori Foundation: Each team would have 12 players, with only 6 players on the court for every set. One set lasts for 3 minutes followed by a half minute break in between sets. One match has typically 3 sets and the team scoring maximum points wins. Other than that, the rules are basically the same for all leagues. Having said that, the game has definitely come a long way from what it was. From a dusty open field to an indoor synthetic turf, from a pile of stones lying around in the field to 7 circular fibre discs made for the game, and from an old tennis ball to a softball specifically tailored for the game. [12]

Despite the game almost being forgotten and becoming extinct in the past few decades, the inaugural World Cup help in 2015 was a huge success paired with the Indian Lagori Premiere League (ILPL) catering to a wide audience in the country, it seems as though Lagori is going through its revival phase.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Kela, Swati. "Traditional Indian Games" (PDF). worldforumfoundation.org.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ↑ "Montessori Physical Education Blog Seven Stones: Traditional Game of India, Central and Southeast Asia". Montessori Physical Education. 9 March 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  3. ↑ "The games we played". The Times of India. 18 November 2014. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  4. ↑ Cohen, Noam. "When Knowledge Isn’t Written, Does It Still Count?" The New York Times . 7 August 2011. Retrieved on 22 September 2011.
  5. ↑ Seven stones (ஏழு கல்லு)
  6. 1 2 "Pitthu Gol Garam". www.dentisty.org. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2020. … the players loudly say "PITTU GOL GARAM" …
  7. ↑ "90bet login". Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  8. ↑ Shahid, Dr Khwaja Ali (24 November 2013). "Game over?". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  9. ↑ "Taking You Back To the 90s: Do You Remember Playing Lagori?". Playo. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  10. ↑ Paranjpe, Shailendra (26 January 2015). "Now, a premier league to popularise Lagori". DNA India. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  11. ↑ Sanjiv, Deepthi (27 June 2017). "Lagori's global push". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  12. ↑ Bennur, Shankar (15 April 2015). "Lagori league formed to popularise the traditional sport in State". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  13. ↑ "Season finale - Season 1 episode 5 - TVF Triplings with Tata Tiago". tvfplay.com. TVF - The Viral Fever media Labs. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
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