Games That Originated In Ancient India

Snakes & Ladders

In 13th century, this game was used in the Hindu Dharma to teach students about the vice and virtues in life. The snakes represented the vices while the ladders represented the virtues. The square that has the beginning of the ladder, for example the 12th and 76th, represented the good virtues -knowledge and faith respectively. Similarly the squares with the snakes represented the worst qualities. For example, the 84th square represented anger. This game was called as Paramapadam, Moksha padam and was created by saints in ancient india. Though this game saw thousands of changes, the meaning always remains the same - Do bad deeds , you are reborn. Do good deeds, you reach the 100th square or Moksha.

Chess

Chess was invented in ancient India. It was called the Ashtapadha- 64 squares. Those days, chess was played using dice and a checkered board which had no black or white squares. After a few days, the game was called the Chaturanga- 4 parts. Like the real indian army, the board split into four angas or parts representing the four parts of the army- chariots, horses, elephants and soldiers. It was mainly used to discuss war strategies. But the famous word-checkmate comes from the Persian word 'Shah- Mat' which means the king is dead. And how is that? It is because in the 600 CE Persians learned this game.

Dice

The little cubic structure with six numbers represented in dots. Yes, these dices are believed to be invented in India. They are mentioned in ancient vedas- rig veda and atharva veda. They were also found in the excavations of various Harappan sites like Ropar, Mothal, Alamgirpur and Kalibangan. Like chess, these dices also spread to Persia and became very popular in board games.

Polo

Yes, this very modern sport was also invented in India. In the 15th century, when Babur laid the foundation of mughal emperor in India he made this game really famous. After a few years, when British invaded India, they adopted this fascinating sport. And then it spread across the world. Though this game is played on horseback, there is another version created by the Britishers- elephant back. Elephant polo is still famous in Rajasthan and some countries like Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Not just in sports, ancient india was amazing in a lot of scientific discoveries too. Whatever technology does today, astrologists and scientists did that hundreds of years ago. They are just lost somewhere in history!