Ranchi
The Mundas and Mahtos, especially the ones based in Khunti and Tamar areas of Jharkhand, these days are making efforts to revive the true spirit of their traditional tribal game – Phodi. The inter- and intra-village Phodi usually begins after Durga Puja or during the month of Kartik and ends while celebrating Makar Sankranti – Paus, when the reaping of paddy and such other harvests are in full swing.
Noted Anthropologist Sarat Chandra Roy in his book “The Mundas and Their Country”, writes, “A principal athletic game of the Mundas is Phodi, which is a kind of hockey. This is generally played in the day-time in winter. A player from the other side comes and confronts him. The first player throws the ball into the air, and both players strike at it. Thus they go on till the ball is driven to one or other of the fixed boundaries.”
Central University of Jharkhand’s Research Field Investigator Priyavrat Nag went on adding that the tribal game Phodi is usually played in open areas lying close to the villages. Though both teams involved in playing a particular match should preferably have an equal number of players, there is no fixed limit for the total number of players. And the total area of the playground may extend up to 2 or four square kilometres.
A wooden ball is kept in a small ditch based in the middle of the playground and men hit the ball with a wooden stick. At times, the ball is also tossed in air in the middle of the field and players from both sides put in all their might to drive it to their end.
But who are more ‘mightier’ – married men or unmarried youths and teenagers — too gets decided to a big extent during these matches. These matches are often between Married Vs Unmarried men!
While the players proceed to the playground, village women and girls sprinkle water to wish them good luck and also pray for good rainfall and harvests in the coming season.
On their return, the women again wash their feet. The Pahans and Pujaras offer prayers. The village head and other well to do elders host a grand feast, where different types of rice delicacies are on the platter.
“This tribal game steadily began losing lustre during recent decades. But, with the latest initiative to conserve and enrich the indigenous culture, efforts have begun to popularize the Phodi game as well,” Nag stressed.
Social outfits, mainly those championing the cause of indigenous culture and villagers themselves on their own have started organising matches. The Government and corporate sectors have are yet to take any special initiative to conserve the game.
