Pambaram பம்பரம் (in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

), Pambaram പമ്പരം (in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

), Buguri ಬುಗುರಿ (in

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

), Lattu لٹو (in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

top A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect. Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a few ...

used mainly in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

. In

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...

and

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

, its name is "Bongaralu Aata". This game can be played by all age groups.

Components

* Wooden body * Nail tip * String (wrapped around the crown of the top, allowing the player to spin the top as it is thrown)

Game play

The game begins with all players holding their wound top. The players throw their tops at the same time – this is the "toss" for the game. The "toss" is decided by the top spun and picked up quickest. The throw is triggered by a simple countdown – at the count of 1, 2, 3 all the players wind their pambarams, unwind it on the ground to rotate and then pick it up with the rope as quickly as possible. The primary skill is to use the shortest rope length usage and still make the bambaram spin, so it can be caught with the rope. Pambarams that did not complete the toss are placed in the center of a circle. The players who finished the toss successfully try to spin the top over the tops in the circle trying to break (gunna in Karnataka slang) them and/or trying to knock them out of the circle. Each time the spinning tops have to be picked up successfully to continue.

Traditional producers

Traditional makers of Pambaram were in

Ambasamudram taluk The Ambasamudram taluk is in the Tirunelveli district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and ...

. One producer was a carpenter called Raja Gopal Achary S. His wood carving workshop was called Muthu Cheppu Pattarai in

Kalakkad Kalakad is a Municipality in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Kalakad is one of the 3 Municipalities of Tirunelveli District, and is one of the fastest-growing towns in the district. Etymology As per popular folklore, the ...

, Tirunelveli district. He started in 1961, and named his shop after his first son. His shop is run by his fourth son, Paramasivan Achary and his son Muthubalakrishnan reside in Singampathu, Kalakkad and have started a new workshop called CLASSIC WOODY WORKS in the prime area of Kalakkad near a bus stand. Rajagopalachary1

Modern use

This toy is losing popularity, however, it is still popular in rural communities. Players are in many age ranges with varying sets of rules. They are sold in many regions of India. This game has been overtaken by foreign tops. Many tutorial videos describe how to spin the top.

References

External links