Traditional games of Nepal

Nepal has many traditional games that are similar to other traditional South Asian games.^[1] Many of these games were played during local cultural festivals,^[2] but are now disappearing because of technological influence and globalisation.^[3]

Dandi biyo and kabaddi, which were considered the unofficial national sports until recently, are still popular in rural areas. Despite efforts, standardisation and development of dandi biyo has not been achieved, while kabaddi, as a professional sport, is still in its infancy in Nepal. Bagh-chal, an ancient board game that is thought to have originated in Nepal, can be played on chalk-drawn boards, with pebbles, and is still popular today. Ludo, snakes and ladders and carrom are popular pastimes. Chess is also played. Volleyball was declared as the national sport of Nepal in 2017. Popular children's games include versions of tag, knucklebones, hopscotch, Duck, duck, goose and lagori, while marbles, top, hoop rolling and gully cricket are also popular among boys. Rubber bands, or ranger bands cut from tubes in bike tyres, make a multi-purpose sporting equipment for Nepali children, which may be bunched or chained together, and used to play dodgeball, cat's cradle, jianzi and a variety of skipping rope games.

This game (also known as marbles) involves participants flicking marbles with their fingers in the hopes of pushing opponents' marbles outside of the playing area.^[6][7]

This section is an excerpt from Pambaram.[edit]

Pambaram (Tamil: பம்பரம், Malayalam: പമ്പരം), also called the Lattu (Urdu: لٹو), Latim (Bengali: লাটিম), Lattoo (Bhojpuri: 𑂪𑂗𑂹𑂗𑂴) Bhawra (Marathi: भावरा), Buguri (Kannada: ಬುಗುರಿ), or Bongaram (Telugu: బొంగరం), is a traditional throwing top used mainly in India and Bangladesh.^[8]

In Nepal, the spinning top is known as a bhurung or lattu.^[9][6]

Dhyakki (or piya) is a form of hopscotch in which players must move a rock across the playing area as they hop through it.^[7]

Though this game goes by other names in neighboring countries, it is primarily known in Nepal as seven stones.^[14]

This section is an excerpt from Kabaddi.[edit]

Kabaddi (/kəˈbædi/,^[15] /ˈkʌbədi/)^[16] is a contact team sport played between two teams of seven players, originating in ancient India.^[17] The objective of the game is for a single player on offense, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of the court, touch out as many of their players as possible, and return to their own half of the court, all without being tackled by the defenders in 30 seconds. Points are scored for each player tagged by the raider, while the opposing team earns a point for stopping the raider. Players are taken out of the game if they are touched or tackled, but return to the game after each point scored by their team from a tag or tackle.

Kabaddi (also known locally as kapardi)^[18] has been declining in Nepal in recent decades.^[19]

This section is an excerpt from Kho kho.[edit]

This section is an excerpt from Elephant polo.[edit]

Elephant polo is a variant of polo played while riding elephants. It is played in Nepal,, and Thailand. England and Scotland regularly field teams. Equipment consists of a standard polo ball and a 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) to 3 metres (9.8 ft) cane (similar to bamboo) sticks with a polo mallet head on the end. The pitch is three-quarters of the length of a standard polo pitch, due to the lower speed of the elephants. Two people ride each elephant; the elephants are steered by mahouts, while the player tells the mahout which way to go and hits the ball.

Elephant polo originated in Meghauli, Nepal. Tiger Tops in Nepal remains the headquarters of elephant polo and the site of the World Elephant Polo Championships.^[22]