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TIN MILAM. “ This is a unique game resembling golf, except that unlike in golf where clubs are used, fingers were use to push the marble into the hole ( Mil). Two or any even or odd number of players could take part in the game. Three small holes( about 1 ˝” dia. X 1’ deep)were dug in the ground in a straight line, about five feet apart . Mode of striking The marble was held in the tips of the thumb and the first finger of the right hand. The striking was done by aiming and propelling forward the marble with the middle finger of the left hand. Standing at hole No. 1, each player had to throw his marble towards the hole no. 3. The one whose marble was closest to the hole had his turn first in the game, the others following respectively as per their position. Then standing at hole no. 3, every player had to throw his marble into the center hole. Those with a good aim could do this at one stroke, but others could only do it in stages, coming closer at every throw till they could dip the marble in the hole. Each player had only one throw for his turn. But a player had the option to hit another player’s marble which was closer to the hole. If he hit the marble, he had another turn, and so on, till he failed to strike. In this way, some took advantage to win the hole by hitting out the marbles of others closer than his to the hole and winning more chances. After completing the central ‘mil’2, the players had to get into’ mil’ 1. The same process was followed as in ‘mil’ 2. After completing’ mil’1,a player had to strike “ PENO”, that is, he had to strike at any other player’s marble and thus end his part in the game. The last player in the game who had no marble left to strike at, lost the game, and he had to pay a penalty called ‘ Ghus’. The most interesting part of the game was dodging and preventing the others from filling the ‘mil’. The tempo rose when all were awaiting to strike the ‘Peno’. The players tried to be out of the striking range of others, and those with good aim succeeded in this. There were cliques and favoritism at times in making an unpopular or boastful player lose. GHUS ( Penalty). The ‘ guskar, the player who lost, was made to push his marble into the ‘mils’ whit his elbow. He had to hold his right ear with his right hand and had to use his elbow to move the marble forward.. Other players in their turn hit his marble out of range, and thus prolonged his agony. The marble of the ‘ guskar’ was placed on ‘mil’ 3. The other players standing at ‘ mil’ 1 tried to strike at his marble. This distance between ‘mil’ 1 and 3 being a long one, if there were no good aimers, the ‘ guskar’ was lucky and ‘ mil’3 was taken as dipped. In case the’ guskar’ had filled in ‘mil ‘2, before getting the ‘ghus,’ he could go straight to ‘mil’1 to complete the ‘gus’ The same process of striking the ‘guskar’s marble by other players and dissuading him from dipping-in followed.”
Compiled by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas. Vasco-da-Gama, 07-06-2004.
Notes and References; PEREIRA, Angelo, in "Vignettes Of Fading Traditions", Bombay, 1995, pp.88- 89. |
