Snakes and Ladders
I came across an intersting book during my recent trip to Santa Barbara. It was about the history of world's different board games. While I was browsing through the book, I came across my favorite game as a kid....Snakes and Ladders! I found its history intersting and hence presenting it here for you all. The game was originated in India. The original name of the game was "Moksha Patum". The game is about the concepts of Hinduism like karma and reincarnation. The snakes represent our sins and the ladders represent our good deeds. The number "100" on the board represents moksha or salvation. All of us have to achieve salvation(square 100) and our good and unselfish deeds (ladders) help us in it while our sins(snakes) drag us down and we have to reincarnate to reach that final goal. Initially the game was played on a circular board but the Britishers most probably changed it into a square board and gave it the name snakes and ladders! It would have been intersting...