Ganjifa: The game, the art history and revival

 

THE BEGINNING OF GANJIFA IN INDIA

Ganjifa became popular in India under Mughal emperors around 16^th century. It is said to be brought by Mughals from their ancestral home of inner Asia as suggested so by author Rudolf ven Leyden in his books. A reference is found in biography of Babur named, ‘Baburnama’. In which he notes to have send a pack of ganjifa cards to shah Hasan. Ganjifa spreaded to different states if India like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Mysore etc. where it was modified or was evolved as per artists imagination.

SAWANTWADI GANJIFA:

Potrait by: Artist Manoj kajbale

(The Beginning and history)

The Ganjifa cards which originally arrived from Persia in India are said to be arrived around 350 years ago in sawantwadi of sindhudurg district of Maharashtra state near goa. It is said that they were first introduced to the then ruler Khem Sawant Bhonsle III who heard it from the scholars of Telangana. Thus the people from ‘chitari community’ of sawantwadi learned to make these cards who were known for their lacquerware and wood craft skills. The cards were completely hand painted and handmade by the artisans in different precious stones, ivory, tortoise shell for the Darbar kalam set which was used to play in the Royal courts. The game later became popular amongst local people also, the cards for local people were made out of cloth, wood, palm leaf, pasteboard. Different sets are designed based on different themes, different suits. The Mughal cards sets has 96 cards which has different symbols on it, whereas the Indian have 120 cards set, the Indian cards which are designed based on mythological themes like the Vishnu dashavatra. Later on around in 18^th century the popularity of ganjifa cards declined somewhere due to arrival of British printed playing cards and popularity of games like poker, which also were quite cheaper in cost. But, the art did not completely vanish from sawantwadi. As almost on the verge of extinction it was that Her Highness Rajmata Satvashiladevi Bhonsle along with her husband his Highness col. Shivaram Sawant Bhonsle, the Raja of sawantwadi took up the work for revival of the art of Ganjifa, As the work of revival began the entire Darbar hall was replaced by the work benches for the artists. From the challenges of finding the artists to work full time to changes in working and materials, the art of ganjifa began to grow slowly and gain its popularity worldwide. Even at low profit rates the queen kept her work of keeping the art alive till her last breathe in july 2018. The queen H.H. Rani Satvashiladevi bhonsle is no more today but her legacy continues as her grandson is actively working and bringing in a new face to the art by sticking to the roots along with  introduction to the world of social media and a lot more.

 

 

Ganjifa the game of playing cards:

With the senior artist at palace

During my visit to palace the artists working there explained me about the game and the various sets that are painted. The senior artist dhuri shares his experiences and a gist about the game in simple narration as follows:

 

“Working here for a very long time, the work has changed from time to time, earlier in 17^th century they painted the cards on wood this is what I had heard says artist dhuri. It was around 100 or more years ago the artists used to paint the cards on the cloth and chinchuka paste was applied and then painted, he recalls when he started working in his early days all of this was gone the cards were only painted on paper and pasteboard and then lacquer was applied at end that is the same method used even today. Further he explains the game saying, that the game of ganjifa and the cards are only purely meant to be playing and not for gambling at all. While playing in the daytime the game is to be played with Rama avatar and while playing in the evening

to be played with Krishna avatar. Ganjifa has different sets and each has its own number of cards set and style too. The ‘Darchitri’ set is the one which takes more efforts and time to complete as every card in the set has a picture painted on it, meanwhile in other set of cards there are symbols painted on most of cards and main picture of avatar on one main card. A single avatar has 12 cards which comprises of 1-10 symbol cards and two of vazir cards. Some other sets of cards are the ‘navagraha set’ (nine planets) which has 108 cards, Rashi chakra has 144 cards, Mughal set has 96 cards. At the end he says that, ganjifa can be seen in many states but according to the religion and culture there can be seen some changes. The Mughals had symbols, whereas the Vishnu dashavatra are according to the Hindu culture and an innovation of Indian culture.”

He further goes on to explain that:

Ganjifa is a playing cards game denoting the ten avatars (re-incarnations) of the lord Vishnu. The Ten avatars are as follows:

1)     MATSYA(Fish)

2)   KUCHHA(turtle)

3)     VARAHA(Boar)

4)     NARSINHA(Vishnu coming out of a pillar half man half lion)

5)     WAMAN(Vishnu as a young Brahmin boy)

6)     PURSHURAM(Vishnu as a sadhu with axe in hand)

7)     RAMA(Vishnu as Rama)                             

8)     KRISHNA(Vishnu as Krishna)

9)     BUDDHA(Vishnu as Buddha seated with two conch shells on sides)

     KALANKI (Vishnu shown as a warrior with a sword in hand, a horse with all its finery and an elephant with in an ambari (seat) on its back.

 

The ganjifa cards being circular in shape have a diameter from 64mm to 68mm approximately, the size of the borders are as per the requirement of the design of card and painted finely using a compass.

Darchitri set of ganjifa cards

Few cards are embossed to get the three dimensional effect with pasted gold leaf as ornaments and borders with contrast colours and coated with varnish for shinning look. Ganjifa cards were also used to educate the common in the kingdom. the sheets of paper were coated with tamarind paste (seed powder and oil), cooked with mud and Arabic gum. Few layers of the paper were grouped to form the thick layers and dried, further rubbed with the stone for a smooth finish. There was a time when the cards were made with cloth and a layer of stucco (chalk or zinc oxide mixed with gum) by which they retain their richness and glow. The backs of the cards are usually coloured with black or dark colours and their faces with different colours. Generally, picture of the lion or sun consists of black colour as background whereas king picture consists of white colour as background, similarly a lady picture consists of red colour background, a solider with golden background, Lake with green background, where about ninety six cards of eight suits are made. Presently a set consists of twenty cards in five colours or values. The cards are colourful in their overall appearance. One can find a miniature painting kind of resemblance painted in these cards.

 

On this very journey from knowing the game to the interviews at palace I have returned back with an overwhelming humbleness of the members of royal family, along with an experience of viewing and exploring an art form that has come way back from the Mughal era. The artists and the members of royal family are trying way hard to keep this rare art and game alive which is quite still hidden away and beyond knowledge and information from common people and also artists at times.

 

PALACE ILLUSTRATION BY  MANOJ KAJBALE

A game with a beautiful combination of art and history, with the Mughal miniature traces that evolved beautifully with our Indian culture. A game that once said to be travelled all the way from Persia somehow found a new face and an inseparable home in our country. Such is the art and game of ‘ganjifa’ a game of cards cherished and growing at the royal palace of sawantwadi even today. One must visit to see the artists working and experience the royal beauty of this game at least once in a lifetime.

 

Concluding I would like to express my gratitude to the artists

 at palace for sparing their time

Thankyou!!!!

from work to explain me the game and art, the Members from royal family, H.H.Yuvraj Lakham raje bhonsle , H.H.Rajmata shubdadevi bhonsle for their guidance, humbleness and everything that I fall short of words to describe off.

Special thanks to my fellow classmate, Manoj kajbale who was with me in this entire journey, supported me and helped me out, with all due credits to all the photographs clicked by him posted in my blog.

 

 T H A N K Y O U !!!!