More than games
What do you do for Avurudu these days? Our schedule includes munching on Avurudu delicacies, catching up on sleep and hanging out with the family; all excellent ways to occupy your time with, but as every seasonal commercial on television will tell you-this is not how our forefathers envisioned it for us. Gone are the days of Olinda Keliya, Pancha Keliya and the numerous others games young people used to play during the season-or are they?
Youngsters enjoy a game outdoors. Pix by Amila Gamage
More easily said than done, playing traditional games has become somewhat of a distant memory for most of us and something the new generation of children might even be missing out on. If you live in the city it’s hard to come by a suitable venue or even the necessary equipment, so how does one revive an art that has flickered and sputtered out from the mainstream?
Transforming familiar traditional recreational activities to board games
Enter Panther, one of the country’s leading manufacturers of games, toys and stationery. Nihal Athukorala and his family have run Panther since 1989 (it used to be known as Javana Graphics until the Panther brand was introduced in 1999) from their headquarters in Ratmalana, and over the years Panther has become known for its contributions to the sphere of educational games in the country. Imagine our delight when we found out that Panther manufactures three games that have made an indelible mark on the Avurudu season; Mancala, Nerenchi and Pancha Keliya. All three are games that were traditionally played in the village with natural materials, and Panther has transformed these on to a board game platform following careful deliberation and research.
They take their business seriously, says Mohanthi Athukorala. “My father, brother (Charith) and I are very conscious of the work we do,” she says. “It takes a lot to devise these games and manufacture them to standard. Our target market is the average Sri Lankan parent so we try to make our products as accessible as possible, in terms of how they’re presented and also with regards to price.”
The seasonal games have been at the back of Mr. Athukorala’s mind for quite some time, and it was only last year, following many months of research and development, that these games were launched. The three games have a fair bit of history between them. ‘Mancala’ is the standard name for a game that we know as ‘Olinda Keliya’, so named because of the little Olinda seeds the game is played with. Mancala, however, is played with smoothened pebbles as the olinda seed is believed to be toxic. The earliest evidence of the game originates from Eritrea and Ethiopia in the 6th-7th centuries AD. “It’s a game of strategy,” says Mr. Athukorala. “The entire family can play it-all three games can be played by an older group.”
Or perhaps you’ll fancy a game of Pancha Keliya, modified by substituting a die to mimic the effect of the seashells traditionally used. That’s another challenge of producing these games, say the Athukoralas. “We have to be very environmentally responsible-for example we could have used sea shells but that would have been tricky and we felt the die could work just as well, and it’s easier to use!”
Similarly Nerenchi, a two player game, is intrinsically Sri Lankan in origin. The research process behind these games was rather tedious, we’re told, as they have no set standard of rules with these changing from region to region. “Our research team eventually came up with an across the board set of rules for each,” says Ms Athukorala. The team made everything as practical as possible “so even the little ones can understand how to play them”. The games are available with instructions in English, Sinhala and Tamil, so you can pick whatever works best for you.
“We’d like these games to encourage more family interaction,” hopes Mr. Athukorala. “We’re a close family and I think it’s a very good way to bring everyone together. Especially during the Avurudu season.” You can find Panther’s seasonal games at their store (249, Hospital Road, Kalubowila) and selected stores and
supermarkets island wide.
Photo shoot location for Magazine cover and story : Curry Leaf, Colombo Hilton