How to play Chowka Bara (7 House)
Buy a 7 House Chowka Bara set
The “Roll-the-Dice How To” play Chowka Baara, Katte Mane, Ashta Chamma, Gatta Mane, Chakka, Pakidakali, Daayum, Kavidi Kali, Kach kangri, Changa po, Cheeta (7 Houses)
There are many variants of this game across India. This “How-To” follows a variant played mostly in southern parts of Karnataka.
The 7 House Chowka Baara board has 7X7 blocks. Upto four players can play the game. Each player has a home block – marked ⓐ – and has four pawns each. Optionally, players who sit opposite to each other are paired as a team.
Chowka Bara Basics
The players have to take turns to roll the kavade set (set of 6 cowrie shells). Based on the number the player gets, she moves a chosen pawn by that many blocks as described in the play script below. Each kavade has 2 values (0 and 1). The hump of the kavade denotes 0, while the mouth of the shell denotes 1. All four mouths (1s) denote a Chowka (6). If the player gets all six humps (0s), that is a Baara (12).
The player who starts, rolls the set of 6 kavades. Based on the total of the kavades (1s + 0s) or 6 or 12, the player gets to move a pawn. If the player gets a chowka or baara, she can roll the kavades again. If the player has multiple turns (because she has rolled 6 or 12), she can move multiple pawns with the multiple numbers she has rolled. She can move the pawns along the perimeter in the anti-clockwise direction.
The pawn enters the inner squares through the square ⓒ, that is to the left of the home square. But the pawn can enter the inner squares only if the player has “taken out” an opponent’s pawn. If the player gets numbers moving by which she enters a block which has the opponent’s pawns, she can “take out” the opponent’s pawn (is placed back in the home square). If the opponent’s pawn is in a home block, then it cannot be “taken out”.