Aadu Puli Attam

Introduction: 

It is a traditional board game which few parents and some grandparents will remember. Every aspect of our culture is focused on making us a better person, both physically and mentally, and help us to face life with clarity. Aadu Puli Aattam is a board game which we must teach our children. Let us help our children understand and shift from violence-filled online games & play stations to traditional, enriching, and beneficial games such as Aadu puli Aattam. 

What do you need? 

The board consists of a big triangle divided by two lines starting from the higher end reaching two equidistant points at the lower end of the triangle. It is also divided by a quadrilateral in the middle. It looks like the picture given below, 

The game can be played with or without a game board. In the latter case, a triangle and a quadrilateral are usually drawn with the equidistant points in the mud floor. It is a two-player mind game which needs patience, keen observation, and calculations. Two sets of unique coins consisting of 3 tigers (puli) and 15 goats (aadu) are provided.  

How do you play? 

The Aadu Puli Attam starts with the one tiger in the apex and other two placed in the boxes next to the apex. The important rule is, that the coins should move and placed only at the intersection point of the columns, it should neither move in nor out. The Aadu Puli Attam begins once the goat in placed onto a free intersection on the board.  

The game becomes more inserting when all the 15 goats are inside the columns and start moving. Tiger can jump on to any goat and can capture it by moving to an adjacent free position. The moves should be valid ones. The goats can move only when all the 15 of them are inside the columns, until then they must stay still. 

Tigers can capture the goats anytime, but only moving on the adjacent column. A Tiger can capture one goat at a time, not more than that. A tiger should not jump over another tiger. Goats can encircle the tiger and block it from moving. Each tiger’s aim is to kill five goats. The victory is based on whether the tiger eats up all the goats or the goats block the tigers from moving. 

Conclusion: 

This game is played to sharpen the thinking power and to develop strategy-making. Through this game, the players are thought the importance of teamwork, how united and well guided goats can pass the movement of powerful tigers. This game is played mostly by men. In ancient house, we can see the engravings of this game chart in every Verandah. 

Reference: 

1. https://www.tamilnadutourism.com/traditions/games/aadu-puli-attam.php 

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBRCrgqS3M