Ancient Indian Boardgames: Digital Documentation

Title (dcterms:title)

Panchi, Handmade

Description (dcterms:description)

Panchi is a two player race game with five pieces per player. One of the earliest mention of the game came from Maharaja Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar III who was the king of Mysore between 1799 and 1868 C.E. His contribution of six encyclopedic compilation of manuscripts included the first mention and the rules of this game. A brass plate of a carved Panchi board is currently a part of the collection of board games at the British Museum. The rules of the game were later recorded and written by R. Vasantha in 'Maharaja’s Games and Puzzles'.
This board is made by Ramsons Kreera Pratisthan on Kalamkari. They are working towards the revival of traditional Indian Boardgames through manufacture of handmade boards, casting pieces and counters. They collaborate with artists and artisans all across India to make such boardgames and their material have a number of varieties such as, Navalgund Jamkhana, Silk embroidery, Batik print, Mysore silk zari weaving etc. Other than variants in types of cloth and handloom they also manufacture boardgames on Marble, Mysore wood, Brass Casting, Wood Polychrome and many as such.

Alternative Title (dcterms:alternative)

Vimana

Rules (dcterms:instructionalMethod)

A track of eleven squares, with marks in the two outer and central squares. Ten further squares extending from the central square, with markings in the fifth and final squares. Including this fifth square, a square track with eleven squares per side, with a marked square in each corner and middle square of each side. Five pieces per player. Seven cowries used as dice. The number of mouths up equals the value of the throw; when no mouths are up the player loses their turn. Players begin from opposite ends of the bottom track, and proceed up the vertical track, around the square, and then up the remainder of the vertical track. A player must throw a 1, 5, or 7 to enter the board. Throws of 1, 5, or 7 grant the player another throw. If a piece lands on a space occupied by a piece belonging to the opponent, the opponent's piece is removed from the board and must enter again. Pieces resting on a marked square are safe from being sent back. The player who moves all five of their pieces beyond the final space in the vertical row with an exact throw wins.

Creator (dcterms:creator)

Ramsons Kala Pratisthan

Contributor (dcterms:contributor)

Souvik Mukherjee and Adrija Mukherjee

Rights (dcterms:rights)

Creative Commons

Format (dcterms:format)

Boardgame on Cloth

Medium (dcterms:medium)

Boardgame on Kalamkari

References (dcterms:references)

Panchi - Ludii Portal

Maharaja's Passion (Panchi - Inscribed Brass Plate)

Rangachar, Vasantha (2006) Maharaja’s Games and Puzzles. Kelkheim: Foerderkreis Schach-Geschichtsforschung.

Spatial Coverage (dcterms:spatial)

Mysore, Karnataka

Variants (dcterms:isVersionOf)

Panchi: Downloadable Game

Entered by (dcterms:accrualMethod)

Adrija Mukherjee

Notes (foaf:status)

This board is on display at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta

Tags (dcterms:conformsTo)

Panchi

Ramsons

Cloth

Race-game

Two-player

Dice