Chaturanga is an ancient Indian strategy board game. It is first known from India around the seventh century CE, but its roots may date 5000 years back, to the Indus Valley Civilization.
Chaturanga from Rajasthan, India
Krishna and Radha playing chaturanga on an 8×8 ashtāpada
Traditional games of India
India has several traditional games and sports, some of which have been played for thousands of years. Their popularity has greatly declined in the modern era, with Western sports having overtaken them during the British Raj, and the Indian government now making some efforts to revive them. Many of these games do not require much equipment or playing space. Some of them are only played in certain regions of India, or may be known by different names and played under different rules and regulations in different regions of the country. Many Indian games are also similar to other traditional South Asian games.
A kho-kho defensive player (centre) runs from one half of the court to the other to avoid being touched by an opponent.
An Indian stamp from 1990 commemorating the introduction of kabaddi, India's most popular traditional sport, into the Asian Games.
A few traditional Indian games have been noted for being similar to games throughout the Global Southeast, such as atya-patya, whose Indonesian variant gobak sodor is pictured here.
A photo from 1870 depicting Hyderabadis preparing for pehlwani.