Exploration of Ancient Board Games at Aurangabad Caves, Maharashtra (original) (raw)

The following report contains information of a detailed survey conducted with the intent to document and study the diversity of game boards etched on the floors in the Aurangabad caves. Our method of documentation relied on physical inspection of each accessible cave, spotting, measuring, photographing and recording the games present in them along with contextual data. We faced a number of problems in the collection mainly due to the caves being badly weathered, and many being inaccessible due to being locked up by the authorities for the purpose of public safety. In spite of this, we were able to collect a large number of diverse games-most already known, including variations-along with a number of old graffiti etched on the floor of these caves. The data collected from this survey is part of an extensive, ongoing study of rock-cut caves and other monuments in Maharashtra, with the ultimate aim of finding, cataloguing, and if possible, reviving ancient board games as a living tradition and as an important part of the intangible cultural heritage of India.