In a world where technology touches almost every part of life, a group of women in Morong Chiwog of Samdrup Jongkhar’s Orong Gewog are keeping a centuries-old tradition alive. The game of Kolokpa, once a favourite pastime among villagers and herders, is still being played today. Played with the seeds of African dream herb, it is becoming more than just a cultural memory, it is set to offer tourists a unique way to experience the rich heritage of eastern Bhutan.
While modern gadgets and entertainment capture the attention of many, this group of women of Morong Chiwog have decided to keep things simple. For them, the game of Kolokpa isn’t just a pastime; it’s a vital piece of their cultural identity.
Kolokpa is played using round and hard seeds collected from wild creeping plants. Kolokpa is played between two teams. Seeds are kept piled in rows about five metres away.
Players take turns throwing a seed toward the piled seeds. If a player hits the pile of seeds, they collect the seeds.
A team wins a set by collecting all the seeds. The game continues throughout the day, and at the end, the team with the most sets is declared the winner.
“When a player hits one piled seed, the team collects two rows of seeds. If they hit three, they collect six rows. But if a player hits the special seed placed at the top, called the Shaley, with one piled seed below, they win all the rows at once. We are preserving the game since our forefathers played it. We don’t play daily, but whenever we get time, we use to play it,” said Ugyen Lhamo, a villager.
“If we don’t play, our children won’t even know the name of the game. They are too busy with their phones and show little interest in it. Even when we encourage them to play, they are less interested. We are not sure exactly when it began, but Kolokpa has been there since our forefathers’ time,” said Sonam Chenzom, another villager,
But kolokpa is no longer just a traditional pastime. The women of Morong Chiwog are now planning to use the game to entertain tourists travelling along the Samdrup Jongkhar–Trashigang Highway. This follows the opening of a new tourist entry point at the Samdrup Jongkhar border gate in November last year. Since then, around 280 international tourists have visited the eastern region of the country as of March this year.
Recently, a one-day Kolokpa tournament was held in Morong Chiwog.
The tournament organiser Nima Tenzin said, “By entertaining tourists as they travel along the highway, we will be able to make them happy and help them experience a new game. It will also help us promote the game.”
“If we play the game, the tourists will be happy to see our unique culture and we will be able to entertain them as well. Tourists visit our place for bird watching,” said Cheki Wangmo, a villager.
A villager Wangdi Dema said, “If it entertains the tourists, we are happy to play Kolokpa. If the tourists ask us to play, we are ready because most of the ladies here are interested in playing the game.”
By offering tourists a chance to experience this unique game, the women here are not just preserving a tradition, they are passing it forward, one throw at a time.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Kipchu
