Elements
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00002100 Country Bhutan ICH Domain Performing Arts Address Pema Gatshel, the blissful land of lotus, falls in the eastern region of Bhutan, the district has 11 gewogs. Chongshing Gewog (block) is located in the central part of the Dzongkhag (district) with an altitude ranging between 250-2500m with total area of approximately 249 square kilometer. Thongsa Chiwog falls under the Chongshing Gewog, which is 10 km descending from geog center and almost 20 km from the new Pema Gatshsel Dzong (Denchi) uphill. The chiwog has 42 household mostly dominated by elderly people at present. The team of three visited to Thongsa village to unearth more detail about existing age-old game, which is not known to many. The people in the village are mostly dependent on agriculture farming; however, the men compensate the earning by working in construction site and women by weaving clothes. The kind of crops that grows in village are maize, nevertheless the climate is favorable for any crops to grow.Year of Designation 2022
| Description | Kolok-pa is the game played in the Thongsa locality. The name of the game is directly derived from the name given to the element. Such game can play in any number of people more than two; it can be played in even numbers only like, two, four, six, eight and ten. According to the local elders the exact date of which the game is been played is not known. However, the game is usually played in the winter seasons, as it is the end of fruitful tiring journey of the year to the villagers as mostly the field are left uncultivated and people do not have works to carry on in the field. The people usually played for fun and for enjoyment by keeping simple bet. Kolok-pa game does not differentiate the gender and age of the player, such game can be played by mixing gender, nevertheless the players opt to play gender wise only, in order to have balance and competitive competition. According to 65 years old Meme Ugyen Guru, the game in the past can be played by burning bamboos and pinewoods for lighting the ground in the evenings. Mostly the betting they used to keep are for Bangchang, Ara (Local wine), pork and eating and drinking. The winner of the match is declare based on mutual understanding made within the players, either to pay bet after every game or out of three sets. According to the local present during our study, they asserted that Kolok-pa game is still playing; however, they share their concern that such game is slowly declining due to the change of times and due to the modernization. Aum Nim Gyalmo shared that nowadays due to the digital games and other available of entertainment, youth are found with least interest to play such age old game, where their interest are driven to digital. |
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| Social and cultural significance | Kolok-pa, the age-old indigenous game for the particular game is the marking of the end of the yearlong tiring work and time for the farmer for relaxation and enjoyment. The local revealed that during such time and game the relatives, friends and community are brought together with laughter and happiness. Further, such game expressed the unity and harmony that exist in the community. |
| Transmission method | Since such indigenous game is not popular to many due to no recorded history. Kolok-pa game is been heritage from generation to generation only through practices and play, during our enquiry to the people engaged in the study, they informed that such game used to be played during their ancestor and they have also learnt through their participation in the game. However, the people also shared their concern of its existence in future, since not many youth and children take interest in playing such game nowadays. Nim Daza, 74 shared that in the past, every household used to have Kolok-pa to played and also almost 70% of household has the playground, nowadays we could hardly see the Kolok-pa and playground. Nevertheless, the team has also learnt that only elder people are in the village left with few small school-going children. Proceedings, Steps and rule of Kolok-pa • A game can be played by forming team. • The team is form upon the division of the Kolok-pa bai (Mother striker) by non-players upon closing his or her eyes. • The one who divide the mother striker (Kolok-pa bai) need to close eyes as to avoid the bias in division. As some are star strikers • The Kolok-pa (element) is stack in two-piece and stacking pairs in rows are count as chi-ni, then count as Sum-zhi, Nga-druk Dhuen-gay and Gu-say till reached in Mung-du (Mung-du is either mark with digging small hole or by marking with marble) again after that will count same. • The stacking can be made in line like in the image shown and its term as Wung-thur (Wung means ground and thur means one) meaning it occupy one ground or its worth occupying one ground. • The team will mark the starting line to spin and dive mother striker (Kolok-pa bai) to strike the erection made in line. However, the length between starting line and erection of Kolok-pa may differ based on the spacious of the ground. • If the striker strike one piece the team will collect two-piece, collection is double the striking made. • After completion of all players diving the mother striker towards the erected Kolok-pa which are lined up, the players has to measure the length of mother striker from center mark (Mung-du) whoever’s mother striker is far from the center mark, the player will dive first from the landed position which they have spin or dived from the starting line. The measurement is done by using stick or ropes. • The team will re-erect as per the team who has collected minimum pieces/numbers of pairs • The game will gets over only, when all the pieces is being collected by the one team. |
| Community | Thongsa community, Chongshing Gewog (block), Pemagatshel. Data collected by: Mr. Pema Choizang, Teacher, Tsebar Lower Secondary School, Pemagatshel. |
Keyword
Information source
National Library and Archives of Bhutan
https://www.library.gov.bt/archive/Materials related to
Photos
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PI00007055
Kolok-pa (An Indigenous Game)
Kolok-pa is the game played in the Thongsa locality. The name of the game is directly derived from the name given to the element. Such game can play in any number of people more than two; it can be played in even numbers only like, two, four, six, eight and ten. According to the local elders the exact date of which the game is been played is not known. However, the game is usually played in the winter seasons, as it is the end of fruitful tiring journey of the year to the villagers as mostly the field are left uncultivated and people do not have works to carry on in the field. The people usually played for fun and for enjoyment by keeping simple bet. Kolok-pa game does not differentiate the gender and age of the player, such game can be played by mixing gender, nevertheless the players opt to play gender wise only, in order to have balance and competitive competition. According to 65 years old Meme Ugyen Guru, the game in the past can be played by burning bamboos and pinewoods for lighting the ground in the evenings. Mostly the betting they used to keep are for Bangchang, Ara (Local wine), pork and eating and drinking. The winner of the match is declare based on mutual understanding made within the players, either to pay bet after every game or out of three sets.
Bhutan Mon -
PI00007054
Kolok-pa (An Indigenous Game)
Kolok-pa is the game played in the Thongsa locality. The name of the game is directly derived from the name given to the element. Such game can play in any number of people more than two; it can be played in even numbers only like, two, four, six, eight and ten. According to the local elders the exact date of which the game is been played is not known. However, the game is usually played in the winter seasons, as it is the end of fruitful tiring journey of the year to the villagers as mostly the field are left uncultivated and people do not have works to carry on in the field. The people usually played for fun and for enjoyment by keeping simple bet. Kolok-pa game does not differentiate the gender and age of the player, such game can be played by mixing gender, nevertheless the players opt to play gender wise only, in order to have balance and competitive competition. According to 65 years old Meme Ugyen Guru, the game in the past can be played by burning bamboos and pinewoods for lighting the ground in the evenings. Mostly the betting they used to keep are for Bangchang, Ara (Local wine), pork and eating and drinking. The winner of the match is declare based on mutual understanding made within the players, either to pay bet after every game or out of three sets.
Bhutan Mon