Traditional games of India

[2][3][4] Their popularity has greatly declined in the modern era, with Western sports having overtaken them during the British Raj,[5] and the Indian government now making some efforts to revive them.

[13] Some of these games were used for military training purposes;[14][15][12] constant warfare between Indians/against invaders forced an emphasis on physical activities related to fighting.

[21] Hindu teachings placed emphasis on being physically fit, with the Kshatriya warrior caste in particular having to practice martial activities such as archery, while Buddhist teachings were more mixed; Buddha prohibited some traditional games which were considered to be causing negligence amongst people, though he himself played certain other games, such as archery and kabaddi.

[23][24] Buddhist monks, who generally shunned violence, adopted the use of Indian martial arts to protect themselves.

[16] Different activities were interrelated; the breathing aspects of kabaddi had connections with the pranayama breath-control techniques from yoga[25][26][27] (with kabaddi having been practiced by Buddhist monks),[23] and the martial art of kalaripayattu was practiced in tandem with atya-patya by soldiers in Kerala.

[31] However, Hindu subjects were discouraged from drinking and playing polo, which were apt to make them unruly and rebellious.

[37] The British also at times pushed for the growth of Western physical culture, seeing it as a way to increase the uptake of British culture and values in India,[38][39][40] and arguing that Indian men were effeminate and thus needed a more European physical regimen (see Muscular Christianity).

[44] Some self-funded sports clubs, such as the akharas, vyayamshalas, and kreeda mandals promoted and organized competitions at various levels for traditional games during this time.

[45][46] The involvement of the American-led YMCA in South Asia resulted in some interaction between Indian and Western physical culture.

[53] Some traditional games, such as kho-kho, were also exported to places like the Caribbean, Africa, and other parts of Asia where indentured Indian servants had been taken by the British.

[66] Whereas in the past, traditional Indian games were often played on mud surfaces in rural areas, in the modern day they are often played on matted surfaces with changes to their rule sets and other aspects of their appearance to make them more appealing and exciting.

[79] At the state level, the Chhattisgarhiya Olympics is an annual Chhattisgarhi competition meant for celebrating traditional games; over 3 million people likely participated in the 2023 edition.

[91][92][93] There are several Indian variations of the game of tag (sometimes referred to in India as "running and catching" or in Hindi, pakdam pakdai),[94] with kabaddi and kho-kho being the two most popular such games and being played in professional leagues (Pro Kabaddi League and Ultimate Kho Kho respectively).

However, the active chaser is restricted from crossing the central lane to access the other half of the court and cannot change direction once they begin running toward either pole.

[88] In a Telugu variation of the game, Nalugu Stambalata, there is a pole in each corner of the square that the players must touch.

[136][127] Indian board games have a long history, and have been found etched into the floors and surfaces of ancient temples throughout the country.

[140][141][142] Carrom is played on a small board, with gameplay similar to pool and billiards (cue sports).

[143] Pachisi (/pəˈtʃiːzi/ pə-CHEE-zee, Hindustani: [pəˈtʃiːsiː]) is a cross and circle board game that originated in Ancient India.

In some cases, they must ride long enough to remove flags on the bull's horns or cross a finish line.

[179] Bhatukali involves children playing with a mock set of kitchen items, with the intention of being taught how to do kitchen-related work.

[181][182][183] Bhatukali dates back to ancient times, as evidenced by its presence in literary works such as the Dnyaneshwari and Kama Sutra.

[184] Yubi lakpi is a seven-a-side traditional football game played in Manipur, India, using a coconut, which has some notable similarities to rugby.