Pakistan & Gilgit Baltistan: Games

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Games

Games

(Polo) Polo is a Balti/Tibetan word meaning (Ball) that is played on the horses back is locally called (Harta Polo) horse polo. Balti believes that the game polo was born in Tibet-e-Khurd (Baltistan) and even today is the most popular game in the region. The people of Tibet-e-Khurd Baltistan used to play by foot locally called (Kang Polo) foot polo. Then on mules and donkeys followed by horse like today.

Baltistan possess rich cultural heritage and traditional games like polo which is the bith place and with the passage of time the people of other areas adopted. Polo grounds were specially constructed and till available at important places of Baltistan. Polo played in its unique and original style. It is free style having now definite rules and distinct it from the polo played in the rest of the other parts of the world. It is said that the first polo match in Tebet-e-Khurd Baltistan which was organized by Maqpon family as the part of Jashn-e-Noros.

Polo is the traditional and national game of Baltistan is as ancient as the history of this land of peace. It has been playing in the region since Buddha age after then it was organized in Baltistan by the great Maqpon, in-spite of delevasity of the names in various regions the polo played in most part of the world with the same rule and rgulation in the region of Northern Areas and Chitral. Very beginning the ball used to play was made up with roof of local tree which called sarsing (Ealugnus) in the Balti Language.