Page 17 - Jan-Mar 2019

VOL. 16 No. 1
Sssnakes...Ssshapes DID YOU KNOW?

and Sssymbols In the Tamil month of Aadi, snakes
are worshipped as Goddess Parvati
and are offered milk.
V. Lakshana, VI D, Sri Sankara Senior
Secondary School, Adyar, Chennai
SnAKe AeStHeticS SnAKeS And LAdderS

Other than worshipping snakes, communities carved and This game is an ancient Indian
painted snake motifs on the walls of religious places as intervention and was not played
well, such as at the Deogarh Temple. This helped transfer for mere entertainment. It had
the belief to future a philosophical dimension.
generations. Cobras were Originally the game was known
represented as protectors as Gyan Chaupar (Game of
or guardians of sacred Knowledge), Mokshapat, or
spaces.
Moksha Patamu. The main
The earliest evidence of difference between the
snakes in art can be seen traditional and the modern
in the wall paintings of version was that in the traditional game, a virtue or a vice
Bhimbetka, Lekhania, and its effects, or something neutral was placed in each
and Mahadaria. Ancient box, according to which the players moved.
evidence of pottery design a board game or an interactive game showing
fragments has been virtue and vice.
found as well.
aishwariya, iX a, DaV Public school, sec-14, Faridabad; Kamakshi Johar,
like the ancient pottery Vi C, summer Fields school, Kailash Colony, New Delhi; Mohamedha
saniya, Viii a, Vidyaa Vikas Mat. hr. sec. school, Pudukottai; burhan owais,
artefact given here, X a, greenwood sr. sec. school, rampur
design one of your own.
Illustration by: Sakshab, VIII, Dundlod
riya saini, Viii b, Vishwa bharati Vidyapeeth, Jhunjhunu SnAKe SYMBOLiSM
Public school, Jagadhri; Vrinda
arora, Vi g, Maharana Mewar Public school, udaipur; Khyrul Nisa bhat, Viii After the decline of the
a, Model academy, Jammu; s. shivaani, iV C, revoor Padmanabha Chetty’s
Mat. hr. sec. school, Chennai Kushana Empire, the following
kingdoms had images of
snakes on their coins. Snakes
were even the official symbols Flag oF The PriNCely sTaTe oF
SnAKe POWer - MAtcH tHe FOLLOWing of princely states such as gwalior
Gwalior.
A Vasuki 1 Vishnu does yoga nidra on it

B Nagaraja 2 Masculine version of the find other such motifs, and make a sketch. Inspired
serpent by that design a motif for your family.
safiya Khan, Vi e, Delhi Public school, Mathura road, Delhi
C Manasa 3 King of Nagas
D Shesha 4 The snake who poisoned the
Yamuna
E Astika 5 Anthropomorphic serpent
goddess
F Kaliya 6 Half Brahmin and half Naga

r. Priyavarshini, iX b, holy angels’ Public school, Fairlands, salem; V.
sudarshana, Vi C, glazebrooke Public school, salem; b. Prithika, Viii a, holy
angels’ Public school, Fairlands, salem; Mangai, Vi, MCTM, Chidambaram
Chettiyar international school, Mylapore, Chennai; sai Mihir, iXa, bharatiya
Vidya bhavan, atmakuri rama rao school, Jubilee hills, hyderabad Illustration by: Kannan , VIII , Delhi School of Excellence, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

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