Top 6 Ancient Board and Dice Games of India

India has histroy of games in board and dice, mentioned in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Some of the most played board and dice games of ancient India are Bagh bandi, Chaupar or Chausar, Pallanguzhi, Chaturanga and Bagh bandi in Bengal,Dayakattai Tamil dice game

Pachisi

Pachisi is the oldest traditional board game that originated in Ancient India and known by different names and rules, patterns in later of the history. The twenty five means Pachisi in Hindi and there are other versions of this game as well, Parcheesi.

Chaupar/Chausar

Chaupar is the game which was used to play by Shiva and Parvati, A very much similar to pachisi, played in ancient India. In this game seven cowry shells to be used instead of long dice or Pasha.

Gyan Chauper

Gyan Chauper is another old playing dice game from India, derived from chaupar, popularly known as Snakes and ladders in modern world. It was a very popular game in India along with Ludo board game and chess board game.

Ludo Game is derived from the Indian game Pachisi, and its variations are popular in many countries and under various names.
Snakes and Ladders is the latest version of Gyan Chauper, played in many parts of India.

Ashtapada

Ashtapada is another ancient Indian board game, Like a Chessboard, the Ashtapada board game is also divided into an 8×8 blocks of squares but with the same color. This game can be played by two our four people, variant are known as Chomal Eshto and Dasapada.

Chaturanga

Chaturanga is an ancient Indian strategy board game, Also mentioned in the Indian epic Mahabharata. The game of Chaturanga refers to four different divisions of battle formation in an army, namely – elephantry, chariotry, cavalry and infantry.

Shatranj or Chess is the modern form the game that origins from the Indian game of chaturanga.

Pallanguzhi

Pallanguzhi game played in Southern states of India, especially Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and later introduced to Sri Lanka and Malaysia as well.