Design Resource
Indian Games
Culture of Play
by
Cowrie Shells
Introduction:
Cowrie Shells (Kadi, Kaudi) game is played with 4 small cowrie shells by 2 or more players sitting in a circle. The game is usually played by people of 6 years and above. It is a popular game with village children as well as women but with the changing times, it is now an endangered game.
How to Play:
All players sit in a circle. The group unanimously decides on Player 1. The turn for other players moves in a clockwise direction. In a turn, players have to throw all four cowrie shells on the floor and are scored based on the throw of all four cowrie shells. If all of cowries fall upside down on the floor with their mouth closed, the player gets eight points. If all 4 cowrie shells fall with their mouth open then all players try to grab them quickly from the ground and score 4 points for each shell collected. (The scores for various kinds of Cowrie throw is depicted in Fig. 1.) If two Cowrie shells fall upside down then the player has to strike the open-mouthed cowrie shells with closed mouthed cowrie shell with their finger. The player scores one point each for hitting his target. The turn comes to an end, if the player fails to hit the targeted shell or if three shells fall either opened mouth or closed mouth. The next player continues with their turn. The player who scores the maximum is the winner of the game.
Fig. 1
Conclusion:
This game helps the children in improving their hand-eye coordination and develop alertness. It teaches them to compete in a healthy environment. Above all, the game provides a scope for social interaction with people of varied age groups.
