BHUBANESWAR: Locked inside house and kids to manage! What does one do to keep the kids engaged and kill boredom? Some smart people in the city have armoured themselves with the board games, particularly ludo. It’s no less than a weapon that’s making the ‘Herculean task’ of staying at home lot more enjoyable, comfortable and easy.

In most households, the ludo days are back. Regardless of age, the motto of each player is to win the game and fill the voids! Be it during afternoons or breezy evenings, the ‘bored’ ones of a family flock on the terrace, balcony or drawing rooms to roll the dice and cherish memories of childhood.

The game, that had lost its relevance to mobile games or the internet, has reclaimed its glory. When Odisha had announced its complete lockdown, before the Centre’s orders, some used the last few minutes of freedom to purchase a board game or two. That’s what Prabod Nayak of Rasulgarh area did. “While buying essentials, I also bought some indoor games for my children, including chess and ludo,” he added.
Even at a time, when shops selling non-essentials are shut, the demand for ludo is quite high in the market. “Though we have stocks of ludo, we can’t sell those as it doesn’t come under essential category. However, everyday, I receive 10 to 15 queries over telephone for home delivery of the game,” said Pabitra Mohanty, delivery manager of Big Bazaar at Forum Mall in Satya Nagar.

In this android era, people have tech-based solutions for every crisis. If ludo boards aren’t available at home, they switch to play the game online. Be it on tablets, mobile phones or computers, they are either playing it among family members or with virtual playmates. “I was told by a friend that around 2000 tables are arranged for a particular online game worldwide with players in remote locations,” said Om Prakash of Modern Book House Depot.

“Though it’s a time for social distancing, I am staying connected with my relatives through a virtual game of ludo,” said Dipanwita Mishra, a resident of Laxmi Sagar area, who plays ludo online.
Mental health experts believe that indoor games can help build connections in the modern-day ‘detached’ families. “One month back, I had cases of youngsters not feeling connected to the family. There are families in which members stay under the same roof but choose to communicate over WhatsApp. But, after lockdown interaction between family members increased as per the cases I studied. And, ludo and other indoor games are definitely bridging gaps and strengthening the feeling of oneness in a family or bettering coordination skills,” claimed Pranav Mohapatra, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, KIIMS.