From time immemorial, entertainment has always been a huge aspect of human civilization; we ruled hard, we conquered hard, and we played hard. From vicious gladiators to sword fighting, we humans have always immersed ourselves in the loop of Pleasure, Survival, and Games. Games that kept us afloat and were a crucial means of symbolizing togetherness and an act that brought an essence of unity amongst a community. It wasn’t just a means to accentuate our status but also it liberalized the boundaries of culture and traditions through playful conventions. And hence, is the recreation of “Dashavatar Taas,” which is the trademark of Bishnupur, lying in the region of Bankura, West Bengal. A game that popularised under the “Malla Dynasty” and found its roots and recourse from the Mughal Rulers who honored their presence from Persia.
Inspiration & Idea
Conventionally stating, Dashavatar Taas is a re-modified version of the ‘Dasavtara Ganjifa’ that was renowned and played in several parts of India; For instance, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, and Contemporary Bengal, but distinguishably Bishnupur framed their own sought of Card Game, channeling their own religious beliefs and ideologies on the said cards. Whereas in the Mughal regime, this game was primarily inspired by economics and, in fact, literalized the essentiality of Money via said lively sport. Poignantly, we get a look at this while dwelling on the etymological notion of “Ganjifa,” which was introduced and originated from the courts of Mughal emperors in the 16th century A.D., further highlighting how the word ‘Ganjifa’ found semblance from Persia, which denotes treasure or minted money (Ganj).
Scholars and Source
Promptly observed by Kishor Gordhandas, “There is always one ‘Money Suit’ named after a coin of local currency and in Moghal Ganjifa, two suits which are known as Safed & Surkh delineates White or Silver (Safed) that represents ‘Chandra’ and Red or Gold (Surkh) metamorphises ‘Surya.’ This analogous provides us with a brief idea of how aspirations and priorities differed from kingdom to kingdom.
Additionally, the account of Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Fazal details how Mughal Ganjifa constituted an ‘eight-suited pack with 96 cards’ and also an ‘ancient pack of 12 suits.’
Artistic Awakening: The Malla Era Revival
Historically it was under Malla king Veer Hambhir ( 1565- 1620 A.D.) when Bishnupur witnessed the rise of marvelous art. Tradition and culture during this period reached its zenith, and hence, his reign is also renowned as the ‘Golden Era’ when classical artwork flourished and which, as a result, was carried through his upcoming generations. Interestingly, the potent arena here was the arrival of Vaishnavism, which acted as a portal of muse for Veer Hambhir, the king to an extent was so influenced by Vaishnav Guru Shrinivas Acharya that he made it possible to urge and create a distinct style of art to preserve their intricate cultural atmosphere in Bishnupur. Thus, it is of the idea that the prime pushback behind the formation of ‘Dashabatar Taas’ was none other than the emergence of Vaishnavism, so far so that if we literally analyze the name we will understand how it portrays the 10 avatars of lord Vishnu, and culminately the name of each suit in Dashabatar is dedicated to all the life forms of Vishnu i.e., Matsya (fish), Kurma (turtle), Baraha (boar), Nrisingha (a combination of man and lion together), Baman (Brahmin dwarf), Parasuram (the sixth incarnation with axe), Sri Ram (the hero of Ramayana), Balaram (brother of lord Sri Krishna), Buddha (the ninth incarnation with absolute peace) and Kalki (the ‘abatar’ yet to come).
Other than that, the second source of influence came from the different Terracotta panels which to the day are seen in Bishnupur temples, all of which are carved with mythological deities signaling their sagas to the universe.
Motifs and Symbolic Expressions
Played by five players these game packs generally consist of 120 cards, and while showing a more Hinduized version these cards are motified and painted with symbols presenting “Matsya as a fish, Kurma with an image of a turtle, Baraha with a shell, Nrisingha with chakra (decorated discs), Baman with a water pot, Parasuram with an axe, Sri Ram with arrow or bow and arrow or monkey, Balaram with plough or club or cow, Buddha with lotus, and Kalki with sword or horse or parasol.” Basically, defining all of Lord Vishnu and the roles he played in Hindu mythology throughout the years.
The Hands Behind the Craft
As per research, it has been implemented that it is the ‘Faujdar Family’ of Bishnupur that most specifically specializes in making the said cards. It is a process so laborious that it involves the participation of almost every family member in order to just produce a single set of Dashabatar Taas.
A look to the Raw & Indigenous Method
While foregoing the activity the artists take heed from old clothes which are then pasted on one another by tamarind glue and then after pasting layers after layers the hard surfaced piece of clothing is stretched, dried – during which a layer of chalk dust is applied and the sides are evened out with the help of a smooth stone and then the art piece is cut into circular pieces (approximately 4 and a half Inch radius) which in result is followed by coloring the base. It is the responsibility of the senior artist to draw out and illustrate the beautiful figures of the deities and their symbols using various colors and brushes. This task definitely requires a skilled hand, and then the junior artists are accounted for drawing the number cards, and in doing so, all individuals of the family would devote themselves to producing this unique game of cards.
Current Status and Decline
Unfortunately, the current status of the Dashabatar cards is tremendously in the line of decline, the sole reason being lack of demand and decreasing interest amongst the societal arena and the tourists as well.
The artists who mainly have indulged in this craft i.e., The Fouzdar Family although are still engaged in these activities yet they feel that for the better part, they should opt for a different opportunity because of lack of patronage and a limitation in the essence of security and livelihood, that too with a bare minimum ounce of respect and recognition for the art.
So it is critical to understand that soon the game of ‘Dashabatar Taas’ is leaning on the edge of extinction, and the pieces will find their places in Museum organizations as ‘Living Cultural Fossils’ if not taken beneficiary action.
Beginning of the Decline
It was with the onset of European printed cards in the 19th century that the fascination behind Dashabatar Cards gradually declined. With the emergence of so-called ‘modernity’ and distinction in fashion style, individuals started catering more to European ideologies and a ‘Western mindset’ where attraction toward stylized figures of Queen, Jack, and the French king appeared to be more appealing to the public. Gradually, the focus shifted, and the Ganjifa card artists only became producing a few batches of cards solely for the tourists and art lovers.