Navakankari | Kalamkari

Navakankari is a traditional Indian alignment strategy board game for 2 players, each commanding 9 pawns. Known across the subcontinent by many names, this ancient game of position and patience has been played for centuries in homes, courtyards, and village squares alike.

The game unfolds in two distinct phases. First, players take turns placing their pawns on the board, racing to form Mills — lines of three in a row — while disrupting the opponent's plans. Every Mill formed earns the right to remove one of the opponent's pieces. Then, once all pawns are down, the game shifts to movement: sliding, blocking, and reforming Mills with the pieces that remain. A player loses when they are reduced to just two pawns, or when all their moves are blocked.

This board is rendered in Kalamkari, the ancient Indian art of hand-painted cloth. The warm earthy tones of the grid stand out vividly against the deep painted ground, and the outer border carries the characteristic wave-and-leaf pattern typical of Kalamkari craftsmanship.

The player who reduces their opponent to two pawns — or blocks all their moves — wins. Each set includes the game board and 18 pawns (9 per player).

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.