The Pashi group forms a «chakravyuh», and blocks the Saathi group, who in turn begin to penetrate their defences. After the initial resistance, the Saathis reach the centre of the ground. The defenders start shaking, kicking their legs to and fro with brisk movements, to thwart the accurate aim of their adversaries.
Today’s Article
This game has two groups and the main target is the opponent’s legs below knees. ‘Thoda’ is a get the facts unique martial art form from Himachal Pradesh, blending archery, dance, and music. It’s believed to have originated as a form of martial art performed by the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Mahabharata.
In fact the whole concept of the sport is to create a highly energetic atmosphere with non-stop leg kicking on one-hand and constant attempts to hit the target on the other. The whole competition is conducted to the lively, virile rhythm of war dance, with one side furiously sidestepping, legs kicking in all directions, and other side doing its best to place an arrow on the target. If a defender is hit on the wrong part of the body, negative points are awarded. At present, the game is played in a marked court, which ensures that a certain degree of discipline. In the olden days, Thoda was organized in a very exciting manner.
Thoda is a sport that is played during the festival day of Baisakhi, and the whole community prays to Goddess Mashoo and Durga. In olden days, the villages of Himachal Pradesh organised Thoda in a very unique way. Villagers from the neighbouring village would come in the village and throw tree leaves in the well of the other village at night.
We also welcome feedback and all articles include a bibliography (see below). In an attempt to keep our content accurate and representative of evolving scholarship, we invite you to give feedback on any information in this article. Shamsheer Singh, a 57-year-old Thoda dancer, has introduced his two sons to this dance form and is pleased that the younger generation is following the tradition. Our website is currently undergoing maintenance and re-design, due to which we have had to take down some of our bibliographies. While these will be re-published shortly, you can request references for specific articles by writing to hellomapacademy@map-india.org. The above question is part of 40000+ General Studies MCQ Series Course on GKToday Android app.
Origin of Thoda and Relation with Mahabharata
The only form of defence that comes to a player’s rescue is lightning movements that are mostly conducted with the help of live music. While the rules and the formations sound complicated, they will seem easy once you start following it or watching them. In response to that, the defenders from the Saathi team will look to invite through the circle and get into the middle of the ground.
{
Himachal Pradesh Celebrates ‘Pahari Divas’ with ‘Thoda’ Folk Sport
|}
So don’t miss out on such traditionally rich sports because they have a lot to showcase and a lot to teach you. The cultural significance that a sport like Thoda holds is second to none and it is something that you ought to witness. Moving away from modern games such as 3Patti, Ludo and whatnot, here is a traditional sport that will always teach you about values, culture and more. So take a break from the modern frenzy of games and spend a little time with Thoda.
- As a blend of culture, sports and martial arts, Thoda hardly lacks anything and its significance can also be felt when you witness its effects on people.
- In an attempt to keep our content accurate and representative of evolving scholarship, we invite you to give feedback on any information in this article.
- More information on our team, their individual bios, and our approach to writing can be found on our About pages.
- When the villagers would come to draw water in the morning, they would see the leaves and take it as a warning sign.
- This martial art is traditionally performed by the Rajputs in the districts of Sirmour, Shimla, and Solan in Himachal Pradesh.
- The pashi group forms a chakravyuh, a military formation in the form of a circle, surrounding its opponents the saathis who have to attempt to break through this formation.
{
|}{
|}
{
|}
‘Pahari Divas’ was celebrated with grandeur and enthusiasm throughout the hill state of north India. The ancient folk sport known as ‘Thoda’ was the primary attraction of the Pahari Divas in Shimla which is the state capital of Himachal Pradesh. India, rich in diversity and culture, has different traditions, sports and an identity that goes across boundaries. It is the land of the many and out of this, we also have traditions that have been with us for ages. So today, we are going to be talking about one such tradition called Thoda.
This martial art is traditionally performed by the Rajputs in the districts of Sirmour, Shimla, and Solan in Himachal Pradesh. Originating in present-day Himachal Pradesh, thoda or thoda ka khel is a form of armed martial art involving the skill of archery as well forms of dancing. Believed to have originated as a form of martial arts performed by the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Mahabharata, it primarily involves the use of a bow and arrow in combat. The members participating in the thoda are collectively known as Khashiya, and belong to the Thakur community of the region. Thoda derives its name from thod, meaning a raised platform, upon which the Khashiya would offer sacrifices before combat.
The group is a combination of dancers that encourage the fighters and archers, armed with bows, normally seven feet long with three feet long strings and arrows. The pashi group forms a chakravyuh, a military formation in the form of a circle, surrounding its opponents the saathis who have to attempt to break through this formation. Points are scored in the fight by targeting the opponent’s leg below the knee. Any other part of the body attacked outside this area leads to a negative point. There are close to 500 people in one group, majority of them do no take part and are present just to cheer up the team.
