There are so many family-friendly games that help them gather, connect, and have meaningful conversations and perfect memories. One such board game is Backgammon.
History of Backgammon
Backgammon is a classic board game played by moving counters on a board. The objective of the game is a race to a goal and the movement of the counters is controlled by the throw of two dices. This popular game is thought to have been invented around 3,000 BC in the ancient Mesopotamian Sumerian civilization (Iraq).
How this Backgammon is making a difference
The workshop where this game is handcrafted is set up in the small town of Nagina, District Bijnor, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The word 'Nagina' means jewel and the town is approx. 150 km from Delhi, the capital city of India. The town is inhabited by approx. 500,000.
The workshop where this backgammon game is made is owned by artisan family from a minority community since generations. They specialise in wood work and employ artisans from the local community. The continued demand of quality products helps them thrive, continue practicing the skills and take pride in their creations. Apart from utilising the fair wages that the artisans earn, a part is also used for community betterment and welfare initiatives like education of children, medical camps.
Workshop Video
This video will take you into the workshop of our artisans who create handcrafted games. This gives a sense of their design process while highlighting the appreciation of a craft passed down to the family generations.
Video Transcript:
My name is Faizan and I belong to Nagina. My father's name is Mohd. Anwar. We are into the handicraft business. Our firm name is Khan Handicrafts. We have been in this business for generations. I am the third generation of my family to be involved in this work. I was born into this, inheriting it from my father who in turn did so from my grandfather. There are four members in my family - my sister, mother, father and myself.
The raw material for our products is timber. Once the timber is brought to the factory, it is processed into wood pieces as required per the product design e.g. we cut it into the size of chess for a chess game. After this, the pieces are joined, fixed into position and then hinges are put in place before the final polishing to get the product ready.
We hope that products we make are sold in abundance worldwide resulting in increased income for us and our artisans. This would enable our artisans to continue providing quality education to their children.