DESHI TOYS A GLIMPSE AT THE PAST
Kids have this ability to bring life into the world in a way adults never could. When we were kids we were full of energy, curiosity and passion. Growing up, we have lost much of the energy along the way. Once in a while, it is nice to just look back at our childhood with nostalgia, a huge part of which has been games and toys.
But if you think back to childhood, we didn't always have our G.I. Joe action figures or Barbies. Toys weren't available for just the city kids either. As we discover in our quest for these special deshi toys, there was something for everyone.
AH... MUSIC. NOT.
Kids love to make noise. So some genius figured they could make the kids stop screaming with a toy that will do it for them. And hence we have the dugdugi, otherwise known as the gudguti. The dugdugi is a rattle-toy consisting of a small round drum filled with seeds, attached to a stick to wave around like a madman. On revolving, it will make a noise so loud, kids won't have to do a thing. And if the dugdugi is not annoying enough, one can always switch to the tom-tom, which is a little drum that makes loud tapping sounds on getting swerved. And even if that fails, there's the 'balloon flute', which is simply a balloon that has to be inflated and then released to produce a shrill, annoying sound. I would whine to my parents to get me one of these on the Eid days. If they would dare refuse me, I had my tom-tom ready.
There is also another toy that requires an honourable mention in this category. This amazing 'gadget' is a flat wooden drum on two clay wheels which is pulled by a string tied to two sticks. When the string is pulled, the wheels move and a tiny drumstick will tap on the drums making a rattling sound.
BEYBLADES?
Let's see how they fare against latim. Being an essential advocate for indigenous toys, the latim or the wooden top can still be found at mela during Pahela Boishakh, Falgun and other cultural festivals in Bangladesh.
There are two types of tops to begin with: one which is entirely comprised of wood and another which has metal ends in it. The wooden top is easier to operate as it comes with an automatic mechanism enabling you to simply pull a string and release the top on to a wooden plate. Unlike its former friend, the metal-ended tops demand more skill as they have to be deftly projected on to the floor using a thin piece of rope. Let it rip!
FILMS, ANYONE?
Bought to the village centre chiefly by a young vendor, the bioscope would consist of a large wooden box with two round windows and a side-handle. There would be a cloth covering at the windows, to prevent outside light from coming in. Once you put your head inside the window, the vendor would start the machine and the pictures, now illuminated, would start to move. Shown like a slide projection and sung in a ballad form by the operator, these pictures would depict stories about kings and queens, love and tragedy, princes and monsters.
This may not be the exact equivalent of watching a movie, but it was nothing less than wizardry for the children.
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FOR THE WOMEN
Dolls have always been a girl's favourite past-time regardless of where they are. Before the advent of Barbie and her plastic comrades, little girls would spend hours creating their own dolls. The dolls would often be made up of scraps of cloth, beads, or clay. The faces would then be drawn on using paint. This business of creating dolls was taken very seriously as adults would contribute bits of their saris, beads and ribbons to make up the dolls' wardrobe. Sometimes, beads would be bought from the stores to complete the jewellery designed for these dolls -- nothing was too much.
Then there was the most prestigious event of them all -- putul biye. This marriage ceremony was not to be taken lightly. People would be invited to witness the bonding of the bride and the groom, actual food would be cooked and served to the guests consisting mainly of doll owners, their friends and a few of their chosen relatives. Finally, in accordance with the traditional rules of marriage, the owner of the groom doll would be able to take away the female doll and keep them both. Sometimes through a cordial agreement, the dolls would be returned to their respective owners.
Even though it sounds like a lot of work for a pair of dolls (it is), this past-time has provided make believe relief to generations of Bengali women.
FOR THE DELINQUENTS AND THRILL SEEKERS
Boys in comparison to the girls opted for toys with a bit of adventure in them.
Teer-dhonuk, or bows and arrows, were usually made of bamboos and used for mock fights. Then there's the gulti or the catapult, which could be used to harass stray animals and unsuspecting adults. These toys helped to indulge the inner rebel in the boys, and also probably get them into trouble.
For the ones that preferred fun without the pursuit of trouble, there was always kite-flying. The traditional Bangladeshi kite could be whipped up with just two thin sticks of bamboo, a certain length of string, thin paper and glue. Even though, in Bangladesh, kite-flying was not taken to the extreme like in other countries like Afghanistan, it is still taken seriously enough to hold kite-flying tournaments. The main goal of the game would be to 'kill' the other person's kite by cutting their string. This could only be done if the string of one flier gets entangled in that of the other.The more competitive kite enthusiasts would work tirelessly adding manja to the string and leaving it out to dry. The manja consisted of wax and various other ingredients to make the strings harder and sharper, often having bits of glass attached to the string, for a cleaner cut. The winner would then get to claim the fallen kite as his prize. On the less extreme end, there was marble khela, where people would try to build their base by claiming other peoples' marbles.
There is an inexplicable mystique surrounding these toys. We had those toy metal almirah that had such sharp edges that I can't for the life of me figure out why my parents had let me play with them in the first place. But despite all that, every time I see them, I am hit with an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. The small clay horses, the random wooden shapes, the little steam boats all carried a charm as if there were magic in them, and not even the fanciest toy today can induce that feeling.
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