CHENNAI: As part of the Madras Day celebrations, Kreeda Experience Centre conducted a game night on Saturday. Traditional games such as goli, aadu puli aatam, nakshatra vilayattu, coconut shell walk, and bangle walk were used to highlight their relevance to culture, tradition and even social etiquette.

Since these forgotten games are slowly losing its sheen to their more glamorous modern day entrants, Vinita Sidharta, founder of Kreeda, explained their history and the missing link to modern society.

“Circular aadu puli aatam and nakshatra vilayattu were two among the many traditional games that have disappeared from stone carvings in Kapaleeswarar temple after the renovation in 2019,” stated Vinita. “People in the city are dismissive about these games now without knowing its inherent value. These games were played in Chennai decades ago, and are an important part of celebrating Madras Day.”

Some of the games that are not currently in Tamil Nadu are played in other parts of the country. Games like pallanguzhi are played in Syria in a different form.

Due to the nature of her work, which involved a lot of travelling, Vinita would leave her children with their grandparents. When she saw them playing these games with them, she came up with the idea of Kreeda. “It’s necessary for kids today to learn these games. It teaches them a lot about team building, camaraderie and even leadership,” she added.