Ganjapa

2021-08-14T10:48:13Z

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[[File:Atharangi Ganjapa.JPG|thumb|"Atharangi Ganjapa" cards painted with traditional Pattachitra painting]]
'''Ganjapa''' ({{lang-or|ଗଞ୍ଜପା}}) are the traditional [[playing card]]s from the [[India]]n state [[Odisha]].<ref name=toi>{{cite news|last1=Singha|first1=Minati|title=Ganjapa lost in the mists of time|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Ganjapa-lost-in-the-mists-of-time/articleshow/35465926.cms|access-date=8 November 2014|newspaper=Times of India|date=22 May 2014}}</ref> It can also refer to the [[trick-taking game|trick-taking]] [[card game]] that they are used for.
It is played with circular shaped [[Pattachitra]] painted cards. Originated in the 16th century, Ganjapa is a recreational game for male members of the [[Odia people|Odia]] society, primarily villagers, kings and their [[court]]men. Ganjapa is played as "''Charirangi''" (cards of 4 colors), "''Atharangi''" (cards of 8 colors), "''Dasarangi''" (cards of 10 colors), "''Bararangi''" (cards of 12 colors), "''Chaudarangi''" (cards of 14 colors) and "''Sohalarangi''" (cards of 16 colors). The variation of this game influenced by [[Persia]]n card game [[Ganjifa|Ganjifeh]] is known as "Mughal Ganjifa". The game is popular in [[Puri district|Puri]] and [[Ganjam district]] of Odisha.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|last1=Panda|first1=Namita|title=Days numbered for Ganjapa cards|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140205/jsp/odisha/story_17690733.jsp#.VF2aqfmUfHU|access-date=8 November 2014|newspaper=Telegraph}}</ref><ref name=hindu1>{{cite news|last1=Das|first1=Sib Kumar|title=A unique pack of cards|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/a-unique-pack-of-cards/article3834260.ece|access-date=8 November 2014|newspaper=Hindu}}</ref> As a result of the relative isolation of Odisha in the past, Ganjapa developed very differently from the Ganjifa found in the rest of India.<ref name="Mann">{{cite book|last1=Mann|first1=Sylvia|title=All Cards on the Table|date=1990|publisher=Deutsches Spielkarten-Museum|location=Leinfelden|pages=184–192|ref=Mann}}</ref> Odisha has by far the largest community of Ganjifa players and manufacturers.

== Etymology ==
The [[Odia language|Odia]] word Ganjapa is believed to be related to "[[Ganjifa]]" (originated from [[Persian language|Persian]] word Ganjifeh)<ref name=hindu>{{cite news|last1=Jena|first1=Monalisa|title=Playing cards of yore|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2001/07/01/stories/1301046e.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141108045930/http://www.thehindu.com/2001/07/01/stories/1301046e.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 November 2014|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=2001-07-01|access-date=8 November 2014}}</ref> that was popular by the [[Mughal emperors]].<ref name=telegraph/>

== History ==
The first written document regarding the play dates back to [[Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo)|Mamluk]] times 1399 – 1412, mentioning about the winning of a ransom by Mamluk’s army officer by playing Kanjafa. The [[Topkapı Palace]] in Istanbul has a collection of a set of Mamluk cards.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nandagopal|first1=Dr.Choodamani|title=Ganjifa – The Indian Playing Cards|url=http://www.aventure.ac.in/ganjifa-the-indian-playing-cards/|publisher=Aventure|access-date=8 November 2014}}</ref>
Earliest mention of Ganjifa is found in 1527 AD during Mughal emperor [[Babur]]'s rule.<ref name=hindu/>

== Artwork ==
[[File:Ganjapa cards at Odisha Crafts Museum, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Ganjapa cards]]
Artworks used on Ganjapa cards are Pattachitra painting.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Samantaray |first1=Prafulla Kumar |title=Patta Chitra - {{sic|I|t's|nolink=y}} Past and Present |issue=December 2005 |page=50 |url=http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/dec2005/engpdf/patta_chitra_its_past_and_present.pdf |access-date=9 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109064833/http://odisha.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/dec2005/engpdf/patta_chitra_its_past_and_present.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2014 }}</ref> Pattachitra motifs and patterns with figurative representations of dancers and other people, and of the [[Ramayana]], [[Dasavatar]]a of [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god [[Vishnu]], and other deities of Hindu mythology are painted on the round cards. Artworks always have traditional Odishan art, and vary from region to region and community to community in Odisha.<ref name=hindu/> Ganjapa artwork from Ganjam varies from that of Puri.<ref name=hindu1/>

Ganjapa appears very differently from Ganjifa found in other parts of India as well.<ref name="Hopewell">{{cite book|last1=Hopewell|first1=Jeff|editor1-last=MacKenzie|editor1-first=Colin|editor2-last=Finkel|editor2-first=Irving|title=Asian Games: The Art of Contest|date=2004|publisher=[[Asia Society]]|location=New York|page=248|ref=Hopewell|chapter=Ganjifa: The Traditional Cards of India}}</ref> In Moghul Ganjapa, the suit-symbols are now highly stylized and abstract. Dasavatara Ganjifa contains only 10 suits but its Ganjapa equivalent can contain 12, 16, 20, or 24 suits to make the game more challenging. The Ramayana type is presently unique to Odisha and perhaps the most popular in the present. Also produced are ones with birds as suit-symbols, a relatively modern invention marketed to tourists.<ref name="Mann" />

== Card making ==
[[File:Patta-painting of Ganjapa.webm|thumb|Girl painting Ganjapa cards at [[Raghurajpur]] craft's village. [[Puri district|Puri]]]]
The card making procedure resembles that of Pattachitra. Layers of glue made by grinding tamarind seeds are pasted on cloth are applied and dried. Circular shaped cards then are carved using hollow iron cylinders. Two circular sheets are joined together to make a card. After drying natural dyes made of [[lac]], limestone (for white color), coal-carbon (for black) and [[tamarind]] (for yellow) are used to paint figures.<ref name=hindu/>

== Variations ==
[[File:Carirangi Ganjapa.jpg|thumb|Dasarangi Ganjapa cards]]
Ganjapa is played as "''Charirangi''" (cards of 4 colors or 4 suits in a pack of card), "''Atharangi''" (cards of 8 colors),<ref name=toi/> "''Dasarangi''" (cards of 10 colors), "''Bararangi''" (cards of 12 colors), "''Caudarangi''" (cards of 14 colors) and "''Sohalarangi''" (cards of 16 colors). Each color has 12 cards that makes the total number of cards an integer of number associated with the card's name, i.e. a "Charirangi Ganjapa" has 48 cards similar to [[playing cards]], "Atharangi Ganjapa has 96 cards and so on.<ref name=telegraph/><ref name=hindu/> Each color is recognizable by a unique background color. Each suit contains 10 numbered cards (1-10), a king and [[vizier]]. The king possesses the highest value followed by the vizier and then the numerical series in descending order. The king's card has a painting of him in sitting posture with legs folded at the knees (known as "chauka madi basa"), with the vizier's card with him standing. The king is also seen riding a chariot with the minister mounted on a horse. Some of the cards have the king with two heads and the minister with one head. Signature figures from Pattachitra like imaginary figure with human head and four legs of four different animals are also seen in cards.<ref>{{cite web|title=GANJAPA playing cards|url=http://www.riace.in/workshop/ganjapa.html|website=RIA/CE|publisher=Raghurajpur International Art/Culture Exchange|access-date=8 November 2014}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{commons category|Ganjapa}}

{{Odia culture}}
{{Playing card decks}}
[[Category:Indian card games]]
[[Category:Culture of Odisha]]
[[Category:History of card decks]]
[[Category:Dedicated deck card games]]
[[Category:Medieval India]]
[[Category:Indian handicrafts]]
[[Category:Arts in India]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]

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Ganjapa