Monday, December 28, 2015

The game TABLANI, TABL, TABLAM we used to play

Tablanim game we used to play
now almost extinct

Tablani game briefly explained as below..


https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukextra3/23731537680/
An indoor (usually during monsoon) scoreboard, dealing game with four bamboo sticks / bars of 6-8 inch long. Made from Bamboo, keeping the outer green part as it is and inside (yellowish part) is smoothen in curve form
TABL (Singular), TABLAM (Plural) and TABLANI (name of the Game)
TABL is pronounced as 'Table' in French
e.g  The book is on the table, in French we say 'Le livre est sur la table'

The game consists of  a set of 4 bars/Stick called TABLAM (about 6-8 inch long), a wooden scoreboard (Tabler) with 4 columns each having 12 squares or houses and a set of 12 stone pieces (gulio) usually red and white stones which are easy to get outside the house or by the well.
The pieces that belong to each team are distinguished by colour.  It can be any other things Tamarind seeds and Chikoo seeds, stones and shells etc

Tablani can be played by 2, 4, 6, 8,10..players thus each group has equal members.
Leader of the group is sat on the scoreboard (Tablér , Pron. as taab-layr).
To be alive or active in the game, each player has to score a 'tabl' without which scoring like 'att' 'bara' etc have no value. Scoring either TABL or ATT or BARA gives you a chance to toss/deal repeatedly

Scoreboard / TABLÉR
Basically, it a game of entering into opponent's house by beating or attacking any opponents found on the way..  
Once you get a tabl, you can exit from your house and set your journey to occupy your opponent house.
You climb (second column) and then climb down (column 3) to enter into your  opponent house (column 4)
Mind you,  your opponent will also try his best to enter your house which means there are attacks and counter attacks on the way to opponent's house.

Players are seated on the floor on 'bankin' sort of low level stool to sit on,  in a circle, the two leaders and the Tablér  / scoreboard completes the circle.

Value of Bara (12), Att (8) and Tabl (2)
Although the value of Bara is 12, you can split it into two i.e 6+6=12 see e.g.
Similarly, att is 4+4=8 and Tabl 1+1=2  (I played this game 25-30 years ago so memory need to be refreshed)

e.g.
You need 9 (score) to kill your opponent who is 9 houses/boxes/Squares away
But you scored Bara (12) and Tigam (3) = 15
You can split your Bara thus 6+3=9 and you can still used the remaining 6
Which also mean you can kill two of your opponents if one was on 6 and the other was on 9
 
A Tiatr Stage pic showing a man holding tablam in his hand for shuffling and tossing

https://flic.kr/p/A6uMeR

Video 1: Playing Tablani

https://youtu.be/axB3mCHWkEM

Video 2: Coming soon here

Check this out.. A complete readymade game set
As played in Sawantwadi etc (Thanks to Bina Nayak for the pics)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoaukextra3/24801927855/sizes/l/

to be updated.... visit again
more info and video playing tablani coming soon

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