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Gella - Chutt
Gella
- Chutt is an indigenous game of the state of Tripura. The number of
participants varies from place to place within the state, and there is no
rigidity as far as the dimensions of the area to be played is concerned.
One group is called the out
group, while the other is called the in group. Each group can have 7 to 10
players, if not more. The in group selects one player as the king, who takes
up his position at a point about 20 to 25 metres away from his team members.
All the players of the king's group are confined to a specified marked area
which is called ghar ( house ). The members of the out group spill
over the entire area to foil the king in his attempts to reach the ghar,
without being touched by any member of the out group.
As the game begins, players of
the in group run one by one, shouting ' kut, kut ' or any other word of
their choice. The players of the in group attempt to touch out players or
make way for the king's safe passage to the ghar. The in players are
permitted to stay in the king's chamber, and make a human chain from where
they can touch out the out players, who are then considered dead. A player
declared dead can no longer participate in the game. Thus, the king's
defenders keep his foes at bay, while the king himself is involved in
finding a way, whereby he can outwit his enemies and reach the ghar
safely. This very process of leaving his room for the house is Gella -
chutt, which literally translated means ' the king ran away '. The
moment the king ventures out of his room, all the out players rush to touch
him, and if any one of them succeeds, the king is declared dead. The two
groups then interchange their roles.
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