Banawali, an ancient city of the Seven Rivers Civilization, has revealed clues about how its inhabitants entertained themselves. Situated on the Sarasvati River, the city was one of the great urban centers of this prosperous civilization, famous for its advanced architecture and peaceful way of life. But recent archaeological discoveries also offer us a glimpse into a lighter side of their daily lives: board games.
Games for relaxation
Excavations at Banawali have unearthed several artifacts related to games. Among them are pawns, dice, and boards carved in stone or terracotta. These simple objects show that, just like us today, the people of Banawali enjoyed spending time playing, relaxing, and perhaps even competing in friendly competition over these games.
The dice game: a favorite
Among the objects discovered, the terracotta dice are particularly interesting. Their presence in several sites in the Sarasvati Valley, including Banawali, suggests that this game was very widespread. The dice were probably used for games of chance, a popular pastime for the inhabitants of that time. This is reminiscent of some of the games we know today, such as board games or dice games played with family or friends.
Dice were used in the scarifices: in the Agnistoma, the typical sacrifice that lasted 5 days, the night before the fifth day when the soma was consumed, the sacrificing couple and the priests did not sleep, and to stay awake, they played dice. The addiction to the game of dice is the subject of a hymn in the 10th mandala of the Rig Veda.
This entertainment could have catastrophic consequences, as recounted in the Mahabharata where one of the protagonists loses all his wealth, his kingdom and his wife.
Game boards: a thousand-year-old tradition
The game boards found in this region are often engraved with regular and geometric patterns. Although it is difficult to understand the exact rules of the games played, the presence of these boards shows that the inhabitants of Banawali had activities organized around entertainment. These games were often linked to rituals, social events, but also simply to moments of relaxation after a long day of work.
A legacy still visible
What is remarkable is that the board games discovered in Banawali are reminiscent of practices still practiced in rural areas of India. This shows how deeply rooted these gaming traditions are in the history of the region and have been passed down from generation to generation.
In short, the inhabitants of Banawali, like those of the entire 7 Rivers civilization, had a busy life, but they also knew how to enjoy moments of relaxation thanks to board games. These discoveries reveal a human and living facet of this ancient society, where entertainment had an important place, alongside spirituality and daily work.
Le Rig Veda 
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