How to play aLaguLi maNe or channe maNe

 

Introduction

Alaguli Mane, also known as Channe Mane, is a traditional Indian board game played with a wooden board and pellets. It is widely enjoyed across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and coastal regions, with slight variations in gameplay. The board has 7 pits on each side (14 in total), and players take turns strategically moving pellets to capture as many as possible.

Game Setup

  1. The board (maNe) has 7 pits per player (14 pits in total).
  2. Players start with 70 pellets:
    • Place 5 pellets in each pit (regional variations exist, e.g., 4 pellets in North Karnataka, 6 in Tamil Nadu).
  3. Players sit on opposite sides of the board, each owning 7 pits.

How to Play (Saada/Simple Game)

1. Starting the Game

  • Player 1 begins by choosing one pit on their side.
  • Move counterclockwise, dropping one pellet into each pit, including the opponent’s pits.

2. Continuation of Turns

  • When the pellets in hand run out:

    • If the next pit is empty, take the pellets from the pit next to the empty one and redistribute them.
    • If there are consecutive empty pits, the player’s turn ends.

  • The opponent then takes their turn, repeating the same process.

3. Winning Pellets

  • When the game ends (one player runs out of pellets or all pieces are consolidated into fewer pits):
    • Both players divide the remaining pellets, placing 5 pellets into each pit as far as possible.
    • Leftover pellets (called Pegga) are kept aside by the respective player.

Example:
If Player 1 has 26 pellets and Player 2 has 44 pellets:

  • Player 1 places 5 pellets in 5 pits, keeping 1 pellet aside.
  • Player 2 places 5 pellets in 5 pits, keeping 19 pellets aside.

The game continues until all pellets are consolidated.

End of the Game

  • The winner is the player who accumulates the most pellets through strategic movement and redistribution.
  • Depending on the gameplay, the game may last 5-10 minutes or even several hours.

Regional Variations

  • 5 pellets: Mysore, Dakshina Kannada, and coastal Karnataka.
  • 4 pellets: North Karnataka.
  • 6 pellets: Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Terminology

  • maNe: The board, typically wooden but also made of brass or stone.
  • Guli: Regional term for pits (also called Guntalu, Kuli, Gotu, Guni, or Halla).
  • Pegga: Accumulated pellets kept aside.