GUJAR KHAN, March 25: The centuries-old game of Chopat remains popular among the old folks of Potohar region and some villagers are still seen playing this game under the banyan trees near Mandra.

Chopat, as it is locally known, is just like the game of ludo and it seems that ludo had originated from it. Ludo is played on a cardboard but Chopat is designed on a piece of cloth.

While ludo is generally played with one dice, it has six cowry shells (locally known as Kodies) that are thrown on the floor to score the numbers.

Chopat is played among  four players but the difference is that the field of Chopat is quite vast and the cowry shells are thrown in the vast area and the players use relatively spacious field to sit and play it.

The four players who are divided in two opponent parties are seen hectically racing to beat each other.

The ancient banyan trees serve them best by providing a thick umbrella of unshaken shadow all day long during the summer season and the spectators and parties in-waiting keep squatting under these trees for hours.

Numberdar Niaz, who had come to play the game from a remote village of Mandra area to Gulpera, told Dawn that he had been playing it since his youth. He further said he had been traveling to Chakwal and Jhelum areas to compete with famous players there.

Numberdar Niaz said  Chopat was an interesting game but with the passage of time it was dying as the new generation was not interested in it.