Winter Games, Nostalgia, and the Darjeeling Spirit

It's yet another cold winter in Darjeeling, the schools are closing and there is a cold sting  and excitement in the air. The anxiety of the final exam results is relieved by the holidays and games. While the old huddle indoors seeking warmth of quilts and heaters the children are out playing their  favourite outdoor games. The badminton, chungi, mascol (marbles), bicycles are out and it's heartening to see these kids play a few of those games that have been played by generations of children who have grown up in these hills.  

For a person who has grown up in this place one cannot but help feel nostalgic about their own childhood and playing these games in winter, a period which is continues to be supremely the best period of the year.  However it's also sad that the numbers of children who come out to play are very less compared to those times when hardly any kid stayed indoors. On a random guess, hardly 10% children come out to play on the streets.  Play stations, Nintendo, Computers, TV and mobile phones are taking over children's lives taking them away from  the streets that have been the playgrounds of so many children like us.

Preparation for making cottong quilts-a vanishing craft

It's heartening to see the few who still continue to play these games to brave the cold and keeping the culture and tradition of Darjeeling alive. In regular group chats between old friends, it's common to hear those street games that are no longer played.  

So for those of you who still remember those games  here is the  list the games we used to play

1. Lakkhu
2. Chor Police
3. Maccha Kara
4.  Iskeep (Skip)
5. Chhungi (Kalo labar and Kali patta Ko)
6. Dhyaaa Dhyaa (gun, war)
7. Amright (Am I right?)
8. Khoppi
9. Bhittay (played with coins on a wall)
10. Pateyka (bamboo guns with asharey)
11. Pichkari (bamboo water guns)
12. Garam Garam, Chiso Chiso 
13. Ambish!
14. Inchoo Minchoo London Ma…
15. Badam Ko Lagi Ko Aucchha…
16. Gaon Khaney Kattha
17. Gaddi (played with stone chips)
18. Guddi (Kites)-Gayo Bhageta!!!!
19. Cigaratte ko Khol ko Taash! 
20. Wrestling ko Taash!

I cannot seem to recall the names of the board games  like joining dots or # and 0, and the other one played with stone pebbles-please add this one and the names of any other into the comment box
But other activities that definitely maxed out was camping, smoking  ishkush ko munta ko cigarette and eating roasted potatoes in the camps.

It will be  a shame if we are unable to give the same adventures to the coming generations