[saligaonet] BIYANI or Cashew Seeds Game
GAMES WE AND OUR ANCESTORS PLAYED IN SALIGAO Due to the foundation of English schools in Saligao already in the passed century, playing grounds were provided to the students. Mater Dei Institute had its own ground while others played foot-ball in the fields and level hilly terrain. During my younger days I witnessed even hockey and cricket matches being played in Saligao. However foot-ball was the most favourite game of the boys. Other games seasonally played were---cashew seeds games, marbles, tonko-bal, collie, fovio(mixed boys and girls) and the indoor games tablam, five stones,( mostly by hindu women and girls with some exception among christians), konxeamnim etc.My research identified more than twenty traditional games. However youngsters, teen-agers with whom I inter-acted lately do not seem to know much about these games which we played in forties, fifties and sixties and little beyond. Cable TV is also responsible for the decline of these games as I saw most of our young boys and girls glued to the idiot box and also tuitions which is a craze in these days due to competitions in securing entry into colleges and institutes of higher learning. Summer time was supposed to be the most ideal time to indulge in outdoor games. In the following postings I shall give a brief description of some of these games. BIYANI ( Cashew Seeds Game) In the months of April/May till the beginning of monsoon, Biyani or cashew seeds games were played on the long stretch of the red mud roads when there was hardly any cars or heavy vehicles passing. Occasionally we saw a bullock cart or a gaddi( match box as it was called locally) or a cycle making rounds on these roads. Mode of Playing: a) A mark was set at a distance of about twelve to fifteen feet away. Each player had to throw a seed nearest to mark to get their turn first and the rest accordingly after. b) Each player had to contribute two or three seeds. All the collected seeds for that game were placed on a slightly raised mud row called Uri and a boundry line was marked around the Uri. The seeds were placed horizontally on the Uri except one on the extreme left was placed vertical. c) The player whose turn is first, standing about twelve to fifteen feet away from the Uri stikes at the seeds with a BOTO( striker). If he strikes the main seed( Vertical) outside the boundry line around the Uri, he is entitled to all the seeds on the Uri, otherwise only for those seeds struck out of the Uri boundry. The remaining seeds inside are re-arranged for the next player till all the seeds contributed for that game are won. Then they wound begin a fresh game( I regret for not providing a diagram, which I possess). BOTTO. The largest dry cashew seed is selected. In the navel( center) of the seed a small hole is bored and with some sharp and pointed contrivance the inside kernel is scraped out. Into this hollow of the seed molten led is poured in through the hole. The seed then becomes heavy and is used as a botto( stiker) for playing the cashew seeds game Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas, Vasco, 4th June, 2004. Notes references. PEREIRA, Angelo, Vignettes of Fading Traditions, ; GOMES,Olivinho, Village Life.Various News-papers on Old Goan Games etc.
[saligaonet] Biyannim-II, Lobbiamnim Kartanim- Goan Games
BIYANNI or Cashew Seed GameII, LOBBIAMNIM (or 7 tiles) KARTANIM This second cashew seed game involves a group of players who stand at a distance from a tree or wall. They would then throw their cashew seeds. Players whose seed is closer to the wall/tree, is to play first. He throws a bigger cashew nut which is called BOTTO, against the floor to bounce on the wall/tree and tries to catch it. If he is successful, he wins the game and can take all the cashew seeds thrown by other players. LOBIAMNIM or 7 TILES. The game is played by two teams. One team does the fielding and the other has to strike the tiles that are piled on top of each other by throwing a ball (tennis ball or one made of shock filed with husk) . If the player is successful in breaking the pile he and his team mates run away. Because the opponents can hit them with the ball, in which case the team change sides. Therefore, the striking players try their level best to throw the ball. In case of a miss, the running team mates throw the ball as far as possible. In the meantime one or more of them try to remake the tile pile. Once all the 7 tiles are piled, they shout lobio and the game is over. When the tiles are stuck, if any opponent player successfully takes catch of the ball the striker is out. In Ilhas and Salcette this game is called LOGORIO. KARTANIM To play this game, some empty cigarette boxes were used, which thrown from a distance, with the aim to throw a box on another one. If he succeeded to cover the other, fully or partly, he could take the boxes thrown by both the players. My friend Mrs. Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues from Merces, Ilhas and Librarian of Central Library, Panjim has done a good research on these old games and has published her findings in Heralds Sunday edition( Mirror?). Vide Sunday, 6th July, 1997. The above games are mentioned therein by her. Compiled by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas Vasco da Gama, 5th June, 2004.
[saligaonet] Fr. Nasciment's Book On Saligao.
Dear Saligoanettekars, On Thursday 03 Jun 2004 9:22 pm, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Fr.Nasciment has become a historian. He has been doing lots of research. Fr. Nasciment has *always* been a historian and a kind of people's anthropologist too. He has always done research at source. He must be having gigabytes of grassroots data on Saligao itself. We only hope he has all of it backed up on CD! I think he can write a book on the history of saligao... He *should* write a book, or a few of them with the kind of colourful detail he has! But writing and publishing books is an expensive affair. If we Saligaonetters can help organise (voluntary DTP and photography work for instance) and fund the project it may encourage Fr. Nasciment to publish one, sooner than later. Just our thoughts... MM. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--W-E-B--S-I-T-E--=-=-=-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from Saligaonet | http://www.goacom.com/saligao_tinto/ * Send e=mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] (NOT [EMAIL PROTECTED]) * Leave SUBJECT blank --- Commom Mistake !! * On first line of the BODY of your message, type: subscribe saligaonet YOUR.EMAIL OR unsubscribe saligaonet YOUR.EMAIL Questions/Problems? Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
