The spirit of Pakida Kali, a traditional game of dice, is back at Koodallur, near Thrithala. The aficionados of the game at Koodallur conducted an all Kerala Pakida Kali tournament that started in January 2020 and concluded on Monday last.
The COVID-19 pandemic had brought about a break; but the zest of the Koodallur people for the game made them resume the tournament and finish it in an ecstatic manner.
It was celebrated filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan who inaugurated the tournament on January 14, 2020. Speaker M.B. Rajesh gave away the prizes to the winners at a function held at Koodallur on Saturday.
The Pakida team of Moscow Irumbiliyam from Malappuram district lifted the championship by defeating the Thekkumpadam Town team from the same district. As many as 64 teams from Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram took part in the tournament held under the patronage of Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
Mr. Gopalakrishnan was enamoured of the game after it was propagated by M.T. Vasudevan Nair through his novels. Mr. Nair, who grew up at Koodallur, has encapsulated the spirit of Pakida Kali in several of his novels, including Randamoozham.
Konthunni Nair, one of the protagonists who excelled in Pakida Kali in one of his novels, was a real-life character from Koodallur.
“We have been invited by people from different parts of Kerala, particularly Kottayam, not only to propagate the game there but also to teach them the tricks,” said G.V. Devadasan, chairman of the Koodallur Pakida Kali Sangham, which organised the tournament.
Mr. Devadasan said the tournament witnessed keen fights that often lasted for more than two days. One of the semi-finals fought between Thekkumpadam and Cherattamanna took 57 hours, saving a one-hour break that the players took. Without sleep, they played on. Moscow Irumbiliyam had to fight 41 hours non-stop to lift the championship in the final.
“Although it is being considered a village game played on a cow-dung smeared floor, it requires exceptional intelligence and focus. It is a brainy game. For the people of Koodallur, it’s a game of pride. And there used to be a time when people from other places dreaded taking on the Koodallur Pakida Kali team,” said Mr. Devadasan.
Koodallur players were the masters of the game. It was the late M.V. Kunhan from Koodallur who taught actor Mohanlal how to play the Pakida game in one of his films.
Very few people make the twin bronze Pakida (dice), which weighs about 1.4 kg. The game, played on 96 squares, has its unique names and rules. And the people of Koodallur love it and revel in its fighting spirit.
