Glossary

Golokdhamগোলকধাম

A nineteenth-century Bengali spiritual board game of 64 cells in which players journey through life, pilgrimage and celestial realms toward Golok, the abode of Krishna. It belongs to the Gyan Chaupar family of ancient Indian board games.

Golokগোলক

The highest heavenly realm, the eternal abode of Krishna. In Golokdham it is Cell 64, the apex of the board and the goal of the game.

Gyan Chaupar

The 'Game of Knowledge': a family of ancient Indian spiritual journey board games in which squares represent virtues, vices and states of being. Gyan Chaupar is the ancestor of the modern game Snakes and Ladders.

Moksha Patam

A South Indian name for the Gyan Chaupar tradition, literally 'ladder to liberation'. Often cited as the origin of Snakes and Ladders.

Snakes and Ladders

The modern Western race game derived from Indian spiritual games such as Gyan Chaupar. Unlike Snakes and Ladders, Golokdham has no drawn snakes or ladders; jumps are triggered by specific cowrie throws on particular cells.

Cowrie shellsকড়ি

Small sea shells used as dice in many Indian board games. Golokdham uses seven cowries; the number landing mouth-up (chit) decides the move, from 0 to 7.

Chit

A cowrie shell landing with its opening facing up. The count of chit shells in a throw determines movement in Golokdham.

Samsara

The cycle of birth, death and rebirth in Indian thought. The Golokdham board is a map of samsara, where pieces rise and fall before reaching liberation.

Moksha

Liberation from the cycle of rebirth; the spiritual goal symbolised by reaching the top of Gyan Chaupar boards.

Karmabhumiকর্মভূমি

The 'land of action', Cell 2 on the Golokdham board: the world of work and karma where the journey begins in earnest.

Nandalayনন্দালয়

Cell 4, the house of Nanda. A piece here may only leave on a throw of exactly one chit — a famous holding rule of Golokdham.

Vaikunthaবৈকুণ্ঠ

The celestial abode of Vishnu, Cell 63 on the board, one step below Golok.

Shivlokশিবলোক

The realm of Shiva, Cell 62, one of the high celestial worlds near the apex.

Indralokইন্দ্রলোক

The heaven of Indra, Cell 61, a realm of pleasure that still lies below final liberation.

Automatic movement

A Golokdham rule where landing on certain cells instantly transports the piece elsewhere, such as 14→1 or 36→63, without waiting for the next throw.

Exact arrival

The rule that a piece must reach Golok (Cell 64) with an exact throw on ordinary movement, though special routes can lead there directly.

Battala print

The popular nineteenth-century printing culture of north Calcutta (Battala, Garanhata-Chitpur) that produced cheap illustrated books and early printed Golokdham boards.

Sri Ramakrishna

The nineteenth-century Bengali saint of Dakshineswar. The Kathamrita records his devotees playing Golokdham in his presence on 29 September 1884, and his later reflection on it.

Kathamrita

Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna), recorded by M. It contains the best-known literary references to Golokdham.

Pass and play

Playing on a single device with one to four players taking turns — available free on this site without an account.

Indian board games

Traditional games of the Indian subcontinent, including Pachisi, Chaupar, Gyan Chaupar, Golokdham, Pallanguzhi, Aadu Puli Attam and Chaturanga, the ancestor of chess.

Learn more in the history of Golokdham or how to play.