Chennai: As part of Madras Day celebrations, Kreeda Experience Centre organised a games night on Saturday. Traditional games like 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. As these forgotten games are slowly losing their sheen due to their more glamorous modern-day entrants, Kreeda founder Vineetha Siddhartha spoke about their history and their missing link to modern society.
“Global Aadu Puli Aatam and Nakshatra Vilayattu were two of the many traditional games that have disappeared from the stone carvings at the Kapaleeswarar temple after renovation in 2019,” said Vineetha. “People in the city are now dismissing these games without realising their inherent value. These games were played in Chennai decades ago and are an important part of celebrating Madras Day.” Some games that are not currently played in Tamil Nadu are played in other parts of the country. Games like Pallanguzhi are played in a different form in Syria.
Due to the nature of her work, which involved a lot of travelling, Vinita would leave her children with their grandparents. When she saw children playing these games with them, she got the idea of Kreeda. “These days it is important for children to learn these games. It helps them learn a lot about team building, camaraderie and even leadership,” she said.
