Shillong/Guwahati
This indigenous game originated roughly 400 years ago and is still prevalent among the Jaintia, Khasi and Garo hill tribes of Meghalaya. A chunk of meat is tied to the middle of a rope, which is held 3-5 feet above the ground, generally between two trees. There are a maximum of five contestants, who must jump and kick the meat with both feet simultaneously with only a single try.
The catch is that the men holding the rope pull it a few notches higher just when the players jump. Touching with only one foot entitles elimination. The order in which the contestants get their tries is determined by picking name chits. If one contestant succeeds, the ones after him have a tougher challenge as the rope is held slightly higher. The player who kicks the highest wins.
Rewards can be in cash or kind, including a few hens, a sack of rice or potatoes and sometimes, even pineapples and maize.
If you thought this was a game only for men, you are mistaken. “Even some Khasi and Jaintia young women, particularly in the villages of Meghalaya are fascinated by this game,” says Dorothy Phanbu, a Shillong native.
THE FOLKLORE
“Actually, there is an interesting folklore about this game, which I chanced to hear from my grandmother. The origin of this game happened 400 years ago when the tribes of Meghalaya (a large majority of them) dwelt in small villages or hamlets dotting the hills. Now it is said that there was not a single village that had land that could grow a variegated array of crops for self-sufficiency,” Phanbu informs The Indian Tribal.
“For instance, some villages had land that was conducive to maize or pineapple cultivation but couldn’t grow other vegetables and seasonal fruits. The reverse was true of other villages. So in such a situation this game originated (whereby players from a neighbouring cluster of villages participated) as an interesting substitute for the barter system,” she points out.
“The winning players were always given prizes (by way of grains, vegetables and fruits) that were scarce in their immediate natural surroundings or vicinity. My grandmother even said that players who demonstrated their mettle several times were given much importance and positions of authority within the villages,” elaborates Phanbu.
This game has a philosophical message too: Once we achieve something, we should never get complacent. At best, we should only know that we have raised the bar or set an unprecedented standard for something. That standard or bar will invariably get higher/loftier with someone else’s fresh achievement in the future. At some level this game teaches us to be humble and grounded too.
