Hindu games: snakes and ladders. Play online or printout game board to reach square 68, the plane of Siva.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1414_jain/snakesandladders/ Click to play online.

Jaina Snakes and ladders was a popular game in India. This version teaches about Jaina beliefs

The board represents a person’s progress in life.Each square says something about behaviour or the Jain religion. The ladders represent good behaviour that allows people to move to a higher level. The snakes represent bad behaviour leading to descent to a lower level.

Snakes and Ladders

Published: 2009/8/24 8:59:14

This is also called Parapamapada sopāna paṭam

(This is a page of information on the Snakes and Ladders game published in the October, 2009, issue of Hinduism Today as part of our Hindu History series Chapter Three, "Hinduism Endures: 1100 to 1850." To download the entire lesson and for teaching materials on all three lessons, go to Educational Resources.)

THE GAME OF SNAKES AND LADDERS

Download The Game Board (9.8MB):

Click to download Snakes and Ladders

Rules for Playing the Game:

You will need to print out the game board on one or more pieces of paper (if you don't have a large format printer) and to make at least an 11 by 17 inches playing surface. You will need one die (or six cowrie shells...) and markers for each player. Two to four players is most common.
The aim of the game is to reach square 68, the plane of Siva. This is moksha, freedom from rebirth.
There are various ways to set the order of play. It is common for each player to roll the die once, with the highest number going first, next highest, second, and so on. Ties at this stage are broken by another roll of the die.
All players start with the markers off the board. As each rolls the die, they advance to the square equal to the number of the die, one to square one, two to square two and so on. On subsequent throws, they advance the number of squares of the die. Notice that the squares are numbered in what is traditionally called "ox plow" fashion: back and forth on the board, after the pattern of an ox plowing a field.
If a player lands on a ladder, he advances to the top of the ladder and continues play from there. If he lands on a snake, he slides down the snake to the square at the tail of the snake.
To complete the game the play has to land exactly on the 68th square. As everyone plays until they reach this square, the game doesn't really have a winner, just as in Hindu philosophy everyone ultimately achives moksha.
A player may land on 67. In this case, if they throw a one, they advance to 68 and are finished. If they throw a 2, 3, 4, or 5, they advance the appropriate number of squares. If they throw a six, they stay on 67 and roll again their next turn.
A player may go beyond square 68 on their roll. If they land on 72, they slide back to 51. However, if they land on 69, 70 or 71, they must throw the die each time it is their turn until they advance to the next possible square. They have to keep throwing the die each time it is their turn until they land exactly on square 72, from which they slide back to 51 for another try.