Pachisi
Ancient Indian cross and circle board game.
Pachisi is a cross-shaped board game from ancient India, played by two, three, or four people (usually in two teams of two). One team uses yellow and black pieces, the other red and green. The name comes from the Hindi word for “twenty-five,” which is the highest score possible when throwing the cowrie shells that determine movement. In some versions, the top score is thirty.
The game is mentioned in the Mahabharata as “Pasha.” Boards and dice similar to Pachisi have been found at Iron Age sites in Mathura and Noh (1100–800 BC), and cruciform boards appear in art from Chandraketugarh (2nd–1st century BC). A 6th- or 7th-century carving of Shiva and Parvati shows dice but not the board, while a board identical to Pachisi exists in the Ellora caves. A Chinese document from the Song dynasty (960–1279) describes a game called Chupu, said to have come from western India during the Wei dynasty (220–265 AD), though it may be closer to backgammon. The idea that Pachisi came from Ashtapada is possible but unproven.
Louis Rousselet wrote that Emperor Akbar played Pachisi on a giant scale: the court itself was the board, with red and white squares, and a raised stone as the center. Sixteen young slaves from the harem acted as pieces, moving according to dice throws. Akbar liked this so much that he had such courts built in all his palaces; traces remain at Agra and Allahabad. Irving Finkel notes that these are the earliest clear evidence of the game in India, and that the gambling game in the Mahabharata may not actually be Pachisi.
In 1938, the American company Transogram released a mass-market version called Game of India, later renamed Pa-Chiz-Si: The Game of India.
Each player starts with four beehive-shaped pieces (some versions allow up to sixteen). The board is usually embroidered cloth, shaped like a cross, with a central square called the Charkoni where pieces start and finish. The four arms have three columns of eight squares each. Twelve squares are marked as castles: four at the ends of the middle columns, and eight four squares in from the ends of the outer columns. A piece on a castle square cannot be captured.
Movement is decided by throwing six or seven cowrie shells. The number of shells landing with their openings up tells how many spaces to move. Players throw to decide order; the highest goes first, and turns go counter-clockwise. In some versions, a piece cannot move until a 2, 3, or 4 is thrown. Throwing a 6, 10, or 25 (or sometimes 10, 25, or 35) gives a “grace,” allowing a player to bring a new piece from the Charkoni onto square one. The player then throws again. Throwing a 7 or 14 also gives a grace but without introducing a new piece. The goal is to move all four pieces counter-clockwise around the board and back to the Charkoni before opponents do.
Similar games exist worldwide: Barjis in Syria, Parchís in Spain and northern Morocco, Parqués in Colombia, and commercial versions like Parcheesi, Patchesi, Sorry!, and Ludo. France has jeu des petits chevaux, and Germany has Mensch ärgere Dich nicht.
- Origin
- Ancient India
- Also known as
- Twenty-Five
- Number of players
- 2, 3, or 4 (usually 4 in two teams)
- Equipment
- Six or seven cowrie shells, four beehive-shaped pieces per player
- Board shape
- Symmetrical cross
- Related games
- Chaupar, Barjis, Parchís, Parqués, Parcheesi, Ludo
Lore & Background
Pachisi is a cross and circle board game that originated in ancient India. Its name comes from the Hindi word for twenty-five, which is the highest score achievable with the cowrie shells used as lots. The game is also known as Twenty-Five. The board is shaped like a symmetrical cross, with a large central square called the Charkoni that serves as both the starting and finishing position for all pieces. Each of the four arms of the cross is divided into three columns of eight squares. Twelve squares on the board are specially marked as castle squares; a piece resting on one of these squares cannot be captured by an opponent. Players use six or seven cowrie shells to determine movement, counting how many shells land with their aperture facing upward. The game is typically played by two, three, or four players, with four often forming two teams: one team using yellow and black pieces, the other using red and green. Each player has four beehive-shaped pieces, though some versions allow up to sixteen per side. Pieces move counter-clockwise around the board, and a player must throw a specific score—such as 6, 10, or 25—to introduce a piece from the Charkoni onto the first square. The game is described in the ancient text Mahabharata under the name "Pasha." Historical evidence includes cruciform boards depicted on art reliefs from the 2nd–1st century BC and a board identical to pachisi discovered in the Ellora cave system from the 6th or 7th century. The Mughal emperor Akbar is recorded as having played a large-scale version on a court divided into red and white squares, with sixteen young slaves serving as the pieces. Similar games include barsis in the Levant, Parchís in Spain, Parqués in Colombia, and commercial versions such as Parcheesi, Sorry!, and Ludo.
Reader's Guide
Pachisi is significant as one of the earliest known board games from Ancient India, with references in the Mahabharata. Its influence spread globally, inspiring commercial versions such as Parcheesi, Sorry!, and Ludo. The game was played on a grand scale by Emperor Akbar, who used a court divided into red and white squares as a board with slaves as pieces. Archaeological evidence includes cruciform boards from the 2nd–1st century BC and a board discovered in the Ellora cave system. The game's role in Indian history remains under investigation, and its connection to the gambling game in the Mahabharata is disputed. Pachisi's legacy endures through its many variants worldwide, including Parchís in Spain and Parqués in Colombia.
Did You Know?
- The name Pachisi comes from the Hindi word for 'twenty-five', the highest score possible with cowrie shells.
- Emperor Akbar played Pachisi on a giant board using slaves as pieces.
- A board identical to Pachisi was discovered in the Ellora cave system.
- The game is described in the Mahabharata under the name 'Pasha'.
Common Misconceptions (Editorial)
Some people mistakenly think Pachisi originated in Persia or the Middle East, but the facts confirm it originated in Ancient India and is described in the Mahabharata. Others assume the name Pachisi refers to the number of spaces on the board, when in fact it derives from the Hindi word for "twenty-five," the highest score possible with cowrie shells. Additionally, it is sometimes confused with being a purely modern game, though an identical board has been discovered in the Ellora cave system, showing its ancient roots.
Why It Matters (Editorial)
Pachisi endures not only as a historical artifact but as the direct ancestor of globally popular games like Parcheesi and Ludo, linking modern playrooms to ancient courts. Its appearance in the Mahabharata and the grand spectacle of Emperor Akbar playing with living pieces reveal how deeply games can reflect culture, power, and storytelling across millennia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pachisi?
Pachisi is a traditional cross-and-circle board game that traces its origins to Ancient India. It is also known by the name 'Twenty-Five' in some traditions.
How many players can play Pachisi?
The game supports two, three, or four players, though the most common setup pits two teams of two against each other. Each side uses four beehive-shaped pieces to race around the track.
What does the Pachisi board look like and what equipment is needed?
The playing surface is a symmetrical cross with a central circle where pieces rest. Players roll six or seven cowrie shells to determine their moves.
What is Pachisi's historical origin?
The game is referenced in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata under the name 'Pasha,' making it one of the oldest documented board games in the world. Its roots are firmly planted in Ancient Indian culture.
How does Pachisi relate to games like Ludo or Parcheesi?
Pachisi is the ancestral title from which a whole family of games evolved, including Chaupar, Barjis, Parchís, Parqués, and Parcheesi. Ludo is the most widely recognized modern descendant of that lineage.
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