Pagaday | Silk Zari

Pagaday (also known as Pachisi) is one of India's oldest and most beloved race board games, playable by 2 to 4 players. Each player commands a set of 4 pawns, racing them anticlockwise around the cross-shaped board, through the arms and back down their home belly, with the goal of being the first to bring all four safely Home. Movement is governed by a pair of stick dice, whose throw determines how far a player's pawns may travel each turn.

Pagaday is a game of chance tempered by tactical decision-making at every turn. Split a roll between two pawns or combine it into one bold advance? Move as a pair for protection, or break formation to cover more ground? A captured pawn is sent all the way back to restart from the Belly, and no square on this board is ever truly safe — making every lead feel precarious and every comeback possible. With Counter-Pairs, Doublets, and the race to capture before entering the Belly, the game rewards those who think a few throws ahead.

This board is handcrafted in Silk Zari, with the cross-shaped Pachisi grid embroidered in lustrous metallic zari thread across a rich silk ground. The glint of the zari catches the light with every movement, giving the playing field a ceremonial brilliance that speaks to the royal origins of Pachisi itself — a game once played in the courts of Mughal emperors.

The first player to bring all 4 pawns Home wins. Each set includes the game board, 16 pawns (4 sets of 4), and 2 stick dice.

Part of Ramsons Kreedaa Kaushalya — traditional Indian board games researched, revived, and handcrafted in Mysore since 1970.

🤲 Because this is a 100% handmade product, every piece is one of a kind. The stitching, thread colour, and pawns may vary slightly from what you see in the images — and that's exactly what makes yours truly unique. No two boards are ever exactly alike; each carries the individual touch of the artisan who made it.