Youngsters revive atya patya as traditional game grows in tamil nadu

Time of India

26-06-2025

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At the break of dawn, 40 youngsters gather on the banks of Chitlapakkam Lake in Chengalpet. Eight-year-old Bhargavi leads the group. From their backpacks, they pull out packets of chalk powder and mark a 15m by 20m play area with eight horizontal trenches and one vertical axis.
They are now ready to play atya patya, the game of deception.
At a time when cricket and football dominate public grounds, groups of youngsters from Tamil Nadu's 20 districts are reviving 'atya patya' (game of dodge), a traditional rural game. Once played during harvest festivals, the game is also mentioned in 'Natrinai', a classical Tamil poetic work in Sangam literature.
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At Chengalpet, the players divide themselves into two teams of 15 — attackers and defenders — and begin play after a coin toss.
The defenders line up inside the horizontal trenches, each confined to a one-foot space. One player, the grenadier, guards the vertical axis. In batches of five, the attackers attempt to sprint past trenches and return without being touched. A successful run within 14 minutes earns 18 points.
Five rounds decide the winner.
In Chitlapakkam, Bhargavi has become the face of the movement. "She's our senior, though she's just eight," says G Suvetha, a third-year BCom student at SDNB Vaishnav College.
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"She started playing when she was in LKG. She inspired our whole neighbourhood."
Played in teams of 15 (nine on court and six substitutes) and 10 referees, the game is known by other names such as killi thattu (the referee is called killi, the other players as taggers) and uppu kodu (salt lines). "It was traditionally played with salt to mark the courts, especially by women in salt fields, which is why the name uppu kodu stuck," says David James R, President of the Chengalpet district atya patya federation.
Actor and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa once danced on an atya patya court for the song 'Naan than di kaathi' from the 1968 Tamil film 'Pudhiya Bhoomi', which featured former chief minister and matinee idol M G Ramachandran. "That 20-second sequence is perhaps the only mainstream cinematic depiction of the game," he says, adding that they chose such scenes to strike a chord with the rural audience.
The first formal rules for competitive play were established in Maharashtra in 1982, when a federation was formed.
Points systems, rule books, and tournaments followed. The Union sports ministry recognised it as an indigenous game in 2013, and Tamil Nadu's sports department recognised the game in 2023, enabling funding for tournaments, travel, accommodation, and govt job quotas for players who reach state, national, or international levels.
There are now about 1,000 players in the state across age groups ranging from 8 to 28.
Many play in public spaces, catching the attention of morning walkers, some of whom enrol their children. "We are doing outreach in schools, too," adds James.
Reshma, a second-year MA Business student from Ethiraj College, saw the game being played in her neighbourhood and joined out of curiosity. She now plays for India. "We even have a college team," she says. "We've made it a recognised sport on campus."
Coach P Suresh, who leads the Chengalpet district atya patya association, says India almost always wins international matches.
"It's played in other countries too, but India dominates. Tamil Nadu has three players on the Indian team."
Games are closely monitored. Each horizontal trench has a referee to ensure defenders don't step out of line even for a moment. "It's about discipline and precision," says Suresh. The game tests stamina, agility, reflex, and coordination. Defenders must remain within narrow trenches and still be quick enough to tag attackers.
Attackers must sprint past without even a fingertip contact. A touch means elimination.
But what keeps players coming back is more than just fitness. "The grenadier's role is the toughest," says Suvetha. "They have to cover the vertical axis and stop players. So everyone has to coordinate with the grenadier constantly." The game also helps reclaim public spaces, say organisers. "The lakebed has become our space," says James.
From 2023, the Tamil Nadu atya patya federation has been receiving 15 lakh rupees annually from the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), which supports training and competitions across districts. Federation members are lobbying for the game's inclusion in school physical education classes alongside traditional games such as kabaddi and kho-kho.
SDAT member secretary Meghanath Reddy says the govt is committed to supporting Tamil Nadu's traditional games.
"We are funding accommodation, jerseys, food, and tournament costs for atya patya players. We will also work towards getting such sports included in school curricula."
For Bhargavi, Suvetha, Reshma, and many others, atya patya is more than a game. It's a space to connect, run, laugh, and grow. "Today's kids are hooked to screens," says Suvetha. "But this game brings them outdoors. It brings us together. Parents should bring their children to play games like this." MSID:: 122096856 413 |