Ashtadikpala: A Rare and Unusual Set of Ganjifa Cards Arunima Pati1 1. Department of Archaeology, Deccan College Post‐graduate and Research Institute, Yerwada, Pune – 411006, Maharashtra, India (Email:
[email protected]) Received: 30 August 2015; Accepted: 23 September 2015; Revised: 25 October 2015 Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology 3 (2015): 709‐714 Abstract: The game and cards of Ganjifa are very rare by themselves. The playing of this game and the manufacturing of these cards are on the verge of extinction. Again, among the themes of painting these cards, only the most popular ones like the Dashavatara or the Ramayana are found in the playing centres. But the rarer themes which are many and varied like the Navagraha, the Rashi, and the Astadikpala ganjifas are neither made nor are seen much anywhere. One such set, the Ashtadikpalas, has been discussed specifically in this paper. Keywords: Ashtadikpala, Ganjifa Cards, Dashavatara, Ramayana, Navagraha, Rashi, Odisha Introduction Games and gaming objects have been evolving simultaneously with the process of development of other human activities. Some of these recreational activities still have their traces left as they evolved with changing times. But some did not leave much impact among the playing population and failed to keep up with the changing behavior of people and perished or are in the verge of disappearance. The game of Ganjifa is a clear example of this phenomenon of decreasing popularity. Though it is known that Ganjifa cards and game used to be very popular in many important parts of the world and in the whole of India, the antiquity and origin are still controversial.