Bagh Chal: A native board game on the brink of extinction

Local conservation efforts and online versions of the game are the only things keeping the game alive and relevant.

Stalls adorned with lustrous trinkets, intriguing masks, sacred tokens, singing bowls, intricate miniature statues, and colourful beads are scattered in the Valley’s three Durbar Squares. Their owners eye every passerby with expectations and longing, hoping that an inquisitive look from a passerby will lead to a profitable sale. However, among the vibrant fragments of our history, a square-shaped board, either metallic or wooden, often goes unnoticed by the locals.