Haar'e
Item
- Title (dcterms:title)
- Haar'e
- Description (dcterms:description)
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Haar'e or Haaran Gindun is a game played with Kaudi or cowrie shells by Kashmiri Pandits during the festival of Shivaratri. The title or the name of this game comes from the word Haar which means in Kashmiri, the money or a playing object. It is considered an old game although the period of its origin remains unknown. As the name suggest the main component of the game is the material, in this case the Kaudi or shells and the number of participants mentioned could range from two players to more. The rules of the game are followed on the day of Salaam (the following day after Shivratri) and Dalip Langoo who is the source informant of the game mentions that it used to be popularly played in Srinagar during his childhood.
He also provides a detailed description of the game along with the terms used in Kashmiri. Haar is the Playing object, Chaakh is the measuring unit consists of four Haar’s, minimum of two Haars are required to start a game, Kunyi is the Combination of single Haar resulting the win, Pushraan Dabu means, to add a Haar on a particular number as decided, Juph Taaq is even and odd combinations: In this, odd numbers were to be won and even means to pass on the game to next the player adding a Haar to the rest of Haars on surface, Chaakan is the combination of Four results the win,Duchi means combination of Two results the win, Shartal means the betting, and Tichan means to strike with one Haar another one which is more popular amongst children. He mentions that there are various ways to play this game.
- Alternative Title (dcterms:alternative)
- Haaran Gindun
- Rules (dcterms:instructionalMethod)
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How to Play with Haar'e/ Haran Gindun
Objective: Take all the shells of your opponents.
Number of players: No limit.
Start: At the start all players contribute a fixed number of shells (usually four) each to form a pool of playable shells for the round. The unit that each player contributes is known as Tchakh. When the playable shells are finished each player again contributes his share of Tchakh till he or she can no longer offer any and hence is out of the game.
First turn: To decide who will throw first a special throw of shells is arranged. Each player contributes a special, uniquely identifiable shell, say a shell with a broken edge or a hole. This shell is known as Botul. To decide who will go first, players take turns to roll the collected Botuls. You win the right to go first if your Botul stands out. The entire game is about shells standing out. A stand out would typically mean that all the other shells are in Mount state and your shell is in Slit state or vice versa.
In the scenario presented in the above image we can say that the owner of the shell with the hole can go first. his Botul won. The next turn may be decided in the same way or you can choose to have turns clockwise or anti-clockwise.
Each Botul is returned to its respective owner. And the play begins.
Play: Each player takes turns to roll the shells.
There is no particular way to throw the shells, only rule is do not obviously turn the shell for your benefit.
The outcome of the each turn, whether you won or won nothing, is based how the shells turned, whether you turned a certain number of shells to Mount state or Slit state.
In the above scenario the player rolling the shells got one shell in Slit state and rest all in Mount State. This is the best possible scenario. It is known a Quin. The scenario in which one shell is in Mount State and all the rest are in Slit state is also a Quin. The player wins all the shells on the floor. In this case eight shells. Other players pool more shells based on the pre-decided quantity of Tchakh. The turn of the winner continues and the the game continues. If the player had turned one more shell to Slit, he could have only picked two shells.
In the above scenario the player threw a dud, all the shells are in Mount state. This is known a Tsooyt.
The above scenario is also a Tsooyt as all the shells turned Slit.
In case of Tsooyt the player does not get to pick up any shells from the floor and the turn passes onto the next player.
In the above scenario player got three eyes or To'l Tr'y - three slits. The player loses. If it had been four Slits, he could have picked four shells and the turn (Baaz in Kashmiri or Baazi in Hindustani ) would have shifted to the next player.
Another To'l Tr'y scenario. Three Mounts and rest are Slits. One more mount and he could have picked four shells. And so the game goes one until everyone else has lost all his shells and you are sitting on a huge pile of shells.
In this way, a good game of Haar'e is played and enjoyed.
- Creator (dcterms:creator)
- Dalip Langoo and Ashok Koul
- Rights (dcterms:rights)
- Creative Commons
- Format (dcterms:format)
- Boardgames
- References (dcterms:references)
- Playing an ancient game with Haar'e in The Bitter Truth blog
- Kashmiri Pandit Network
- Miltstar Films
- Spatial Coverage (dcterms:spatial)
- Kashmir
- Variants (dcterms:isVersionOf)
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Different Ways to play the Game
• Kunyi: There should be four Haars compulsory to play it. In this game the Haars are taken in the hand and thrown on the surface. Kunyi means a single odd number, which confirms the win. If one doesn’t get this formation of numbers no one is declared the winner. Only if the single Haar is fallen on the surface upward down or vice versa the player is declared the winner. All the four or more Haars, which one throws on the surface, belong to that particular player. The game continues likewise till one accepts the defeat or one is short of Haars.
• Pushraan Dabu: Pushraan means to add. Even and odd number of the Haars is important in determining the play towards winning. In this type each member contributes one or more as decided to start the game. With all these the Haar’s thrown on the surface are calculated and if the even number of Haars are upwards down then one has to add to it one or as decided Haar and thus the game continues. If one gets three upwards down it is called to be Chhout meaning ‘no results’ so it was passed on to another player. Also if all the Haars fall in their normal or upward down position in both the cases it is Chhout meaning no results. In this too the game is passed on to the another player. In case of Chhout by Three Haars one doesn’t have to add anything but pass on to another player. In case of Chhout by another means one has to add a Haar or Haar’s as decided and pass on the game to next player sitting in a circle in clockwise direction. In case one gets odd one’s on the surface these are to be considered won by the particular player except three Haars. The game is carried on or if a single Haar is in opposite position upward down or vice-versa the whole lot of Haars are won.
• Juph Taaq: (Even and Odd): This is similar to that of the above mentioned style but with little difference that is in this odd numbers were to be won and even means to pass on the game to next the player adding a Haar to the Haars on surface. In this there is no three Haars- no result concept, those combinations are to be won too. In this only if all the Haars fell in similar way then only Chout, no result is considered.
• Chaakan: (Combination of Four results the win) In this it is decided in the beginning of the game that only if combination of four fells on the surface all the Haars are considered to be won. In this the contribution of each individual is to be four Haars.
• Duchi: (The Combination of two decides the win) Similar as above but instead of four two determines the game. There can be any number as decided for the game.
• Shartal: (Means the betting) In this two or more players bet and hide Haars in the hands the opponent has to tell if there is even or odd number of Haars which decides the game.
• Tichan: means to strike one Haar with another, usually children play in this way. Two Haars are taken for play each in each player’s hand. The Haars are kept on the plane surface and both strike the Haars one by one and if the Haars are touched the win is declared. At the end whosoever won the maximum number is the winner.
• Hu Kus Bu Kus: This variant is popular amongst children. They first start the game with the rhyme which is sung and then hands put on the floor in a similar fashion are turned at the end of last word one by one at each time the rhyme is repeated. It is already decided in the beginning that whosoever will be the first to achieve it, will be given Haaru Chaakh, four Haars by each participant. In this main thrust is being given on the spiritual aspect as well as entertainment
- Entered by (dcterms:accrualMethod)
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Adrija Mukherjee
Souvik Mukherjee
