Diwali is just over. This time we celebrated the Diwali night playing Poker. An unusual custom, which characterizes the festival of Diwali, is gambling, especially in north India. It is believed on this night, the Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband and enjoyed it so much that she decreed that whoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the coming year.
Poker on Diwali
Today, dice games have become obsolete in India and have been replaced by card games such as flush, rummy, and poker. The cards which we use are French Cards. I was surfing to find out the origin of the Poker. The history of Poker is a matter of debate, some believe that its originated in Germany while few others think its a Persian game. I was reading further about Persian Card Games and came to know about Ganjifa. Ganjifa, is a card game that originated in Persia and became popular in India under the Mughal emperors in the 16th century.
Ganjifa Cards
Different types of Ganjifa cards available are:
- Dashavatara Ganjifa of 120 cards – Three persons game
- Moghul Ganjifa cards of 96 cards- Three or four persons’ game
- Navagraha Ganjifa cards of 108 cards – Three persons’ game- complicated one
- NAQSH Gambling game of 48 cards from W. Bengal. 4, 5 or 6 persons game
I think they should go for mass production of Ganjifa cards. Otherwise, this game would only be found in Museums. Definitely the hand printed cards have their unique beauty. I would like to buy a collector’s set if it fits in my budget.
