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Archery and Polo in Ladakh |
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Polo and archery are
the two favourite past times in Ladakh. In Leh, and many of the
villages, archery festivals are held during the summer
months, with a lot of fun and fanfare. They are
competitive events and all the surrounding villages send
teams, and the shooting takes place according to strict
etiquette, to the accompaniment of the music of Surna
and daman (oboe and drum). Chang, the local barley beer,
flows freely, but there is rarely any rowdiness. The men
dress invariable in traditional dress, and the women
wear their brightest brocade mantles and their heaviest
jewellery. Archery may be the pretext for the gathering,
but the party's thing. |
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Polo is traditional to
the western Himalaya, especially to Baltistan and Gilgit.
It was probably introduced into Ladakh in the mid 17th
century by King Sengge Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti
princess. Unlike the international game, Polo in Ladakh
is not exclusively for the rich. The game played here
differs in many respect from the international game,
which was adapted from what Britishers saw in the
western Himalayas and Manipur in the 19th century. |
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Traditionally, almost every village had its polo-ground,
and even today it is played in many places besides Leh,
especially in Drass and Chushot, a big village close to
Leh. In Leh, it has been partly institutionalized with
regular tournaments and occasional exhibition matches
being played on the polo-ground in the shadow of the
palace. The local crowd takes a keen interest,
especially in those matches in which a civilian team
takes on the Army. Altogether, polo adds a unique kind
of colour and excitement to the summer in |
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Leh. Here, each team
consists of six players, and the game lasts for an hour with a
ten minute break. Altitude notwithstanding, the hardy local
ponies from Zanskar scarcely seem to suffer, though play can
be fast and furious. Each goal is greeted by a bust of music
from surna and daman; and the players often show extraordinary
skill. For example, when starting play after a goal the scorer
gallops up to midfield holding ball and mallet in the right
hand, and throws the ball, hitting it in the same movement
towards the opposite goal. |
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