https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Dashabatar_CardsDashabatar Cards - Revision history2026-11-15T06:22:31ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dashabatar_Cards&diff=495682&oldid=prevYvonneTran476 at 20:42, 24 August 20252025-08-24T20:42:31Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian card game}}<br />
[[Image:Das Avatar taash Bishnupur.webp|thumb|Dashavatara cards of Bishnupur]]<br />
'''Dashabatar Cards''' ({{lang|bn|দশাবতার তাস}}) or '''[[Dashavatara|Dashavatari]] [[Ganjifa]]'''{{efn|variant spelling due to [[Betacism]]}} are [[playing card]]s from [[West Bengal]] used to play [[Ganjifa#Games|certain games]]. They first originated in [[Bishnupur, Bankura|Bishnupur]], a town in [[Bankura district|Bankura District]].<ref name="The Hindu - 5 December 2015 - Preserving Bishnupur’s heritage">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/preserving-bishnupurs-heritage/article7950314.ece|title=Preserving Bishnupur's heritage|last=Singh|first=Shiv Sahay|date=5 December 2015|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=24 January 2018}}</ref> King [[Bir Hambir]] is attributed to the invention of these cards in the 16th century. The ten [[avatar]]s of [[Bishnu]] are featured in the cards.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bangla.eenaduindia.com/States/South/Bankura/OthersInBankura/2016/12/13205634/Dasabatar-card-a-lost-art-in-Bishnupur.vpf|title=দশাবতার তাস, হারিয়ে যেতে বসা বাংলার এক শিল্প|work=Eenadu English Portal|access-date=2018-01-24|language=bn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125015308/http://bangla.eenaduindia.com/States/South/Bankura/OthersInBankura/2016/12/13205634/Dasabatar-card-a-lost-art-in-Bishnupur.vpf|archive-date=2018-01-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is a unique example of Bengal's folk art.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.biswabangla.in/handicraft-heritage-rediscovered/2016/6/4/dashavatar|title=Dashavatar Cards|work=Biswa Bangla|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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== Origin ==<br />
In 1592, [[Bir Hambir]] became king of Bishnupur. He had a great relationship with [[Akbar]], who had his own [[Ganjifa#Variants|12-suited pack of Ganjifa cards]]. During a visit to Akbar's court, Bir Hambur saw Akbar's cards and was inspired to create new and unique cards featuring the ten avatars of Bishnu. According to his directive, an artist from Bishnupur, Kartik Faujdar, created the first Dashabatar Cards.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/dashavatar-cardmaking-faces-extinction-in-bengal/article6858196.ece|title=Dashavatar card-making faces extinction in Bengal|last1=Das|first1=Soumya|date=2015-02-05|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-01-24|last2=Das|first2=Soumya|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Kings of [[Mallabhum]] play with these cards at their leisure.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Mallabhum Bishnupur|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.265671|last=Manaranjan Chandra|year=2002|location=Kolkata|pages=283}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://chitrolekha.com/lost-game-dashabatar-taas-of-bishnupur/|title=Lost Game: Dashabatar Taas of Bishnupur - The Chitrolekha Journal on Art and Design|date=2013-03-01|work=The Chitrolekha Journal on Art and Design|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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[[Image:Chess and playing cards (1898) (14598283407).jpg|thumb|Jagannath/Buddha card]]<br />
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However, Indian scholar [[Hara Prasad Shastri]] believes that these cards originated earlier in the 8th century.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shastri|first1=Hara Prasad|author-link1=Hara Prasad Shastri|date=1895|title=Vishnupur Circular Cards|url=https://archive.org/stream/journalofasiatic6418asia/journalofasiatic6418asia_djvu.txt|journal=Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal|volume=LXIV|quote=I fully believe that the game was invented about eleven or twelve hundred years before the present date.}}</ref> His belief comes from two observations in a pack he was examining: [[Buddha in Hinduism|Buddha]] being depicted with four arms, and Buddha having the lotus as his suit symbol. The first five avatars in Shastri's pack have four arms,{{efn|the extra arms helps to identify which suits are in reverse order, which is a common feature in other early card games such as [[Tarot]], [[Ombre]], and [[Maw (game)|Maw]]}} and the latter five avatars have two arms, which helps to determine Buddha's placement as the fifth avatar. In common belief, Buddha (or [[Jagannath]]) is in the ninth position.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bandyopadhyaya.blogspot.in/2015/11/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html|title=দশাবতার তাস – এক বিলুপ্তপ্রায় শিল্প ও এক বিলুপ্তপ্রায় খেলা|website=bandyopadhyaya.blogspot.in|date=10 November 2015 |access-date=2018-01-24}}</ref> This may be a clue as to when the cards originated, estimating some time when Buddha/Jagannath was still considered the fifth avatar. Furthermore, the lotus representing Buddha was a common emblem for when he was still known as [[Bodhisattva]] [[Padmapani]] during the reign of the [[Pala Empire|Pala]] kings.<br />
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Prabhat Kumar Saha, an expert on Dashavatar cards, said: "Malla dynasty ruled from about 12th century AD to 1622".{{clarification needed|reason=what does this quote have to do with cards?|date=August 2024}} He confirmed that the Foujdars were the only makers of these cards in Bengal.<ref name=":1" /><br />
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Sital Fouzdar claims to be the 87th generation of artisans. Nowadays, Vidyut Fouzdar makes them.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://chitrolekha.com/lost-game-dashabatar-taas-of-bishnupur/|title=Lost Game: Dashabatar Taas of Bishnupur – The Chitrolekha Journal on Art and Design|date=2013-03-01|work=The Chitrolekha Journal on Art and Design|access-date=2018-01-24|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><br />
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== Method of manufacture ==<br />
The artists from the Faujdar family of Bishnupur specialise in making these cards. First, three pieces of cloth are pasted together using glue made from tamarind seeds. After the glue dries, a layer of chalk dust is applied to the cards. Both sides are evened out with a smooth stone. The cards are then cut into circles with a 4.5-inch radius. Various deities and their suit symbols are painted on these cards using various colours. On the card backs, a layer of lac and vermillion is applied.<ref name=":0" /><br />
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== Cards ==<br />
{{multiple image<br />
|width=150<br />
|footer=Raja and Pradhan ranks from Parashurama suit<br />
|image1=Chess and playing cards (1898) (14598281797).jpg<br />
|alt1=Parashurama by himself<br />
|image2=Chess and playing cards (1898) (14784446012).jpg<br />
|alt2=Parashurama with attendants<br />
}}<br />
Dashavatar cards feature ten suits and twelve ranks, with one of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu on each suit. Similar to most other Ganjifa cards, the twelve ranks are made up of ten [[pip cards]] and two [[court cards]], the [[King (playing card)|King]] (called [[Raja]]) and [[Vizier#Playing card rank|Vizier]] (called [[Pradhan]]). Both court cards depict the same avatar for its suit, but one is differentiated by being enthroned in a sort of temple with attendants on either side. One possible ordering, suit symbols, and color backgrounds is as follows:<ref name="Culin">{{cite book |last1=Culin |first1=Robert Stewart |author-link1=Stewart Culin |url=https://archive.org/details/chessplayingcard00culi/page/924/mode/1up |title=Chess and Playing Cards |date=1898 |publisher=Washington |pages=924–928 |lccn=16017551}}</ref><br />
# [[Matsya]] (fish) black<br />
# [[Kurma]] (tortoise) brown<br />
# [[Varaha|Baraha]] (conch) dark green<br />
# [[Narasimha|Nrisingha]] (difficult to discern, flower or mace?) blue<br />
# [[Vamana|Baaman]] ([[Kamandalu|round vessel]]) blue<br />
# [[Parashurama|Parshuram]] (ax) white<br />
# [[Rama|Ram]] (arrow) red<br />
# [[Balaram]] or [[Krishna]] (pestle) green<br />
# [[Buddha in Hinduism|Buddha]] or [[Jagannath]] (lotus flower) yellow<br />
# [[Kalki]] (sword) red<br />
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Another possible ordering, symbols, and colors is as follows:<ref name="Culin" /><br />
# [[Matsya]] (fish) red<br />
# [[Kurma]] (tortoise) red<br />
# [[Varaha|Baraha]] (boar) yellow<br />
# [[Narasimha|Nrisingha]] (lion) green<br />
# [[Vamana|Baaman]] ([[Kamandalu|round vessels]]) green<br />
# [[Parashurama|Parshuram]] (ax) brown<br />
# [[Rama|Ram]] (bow and arrow) yellow<br />
# [[Balaram]] or [[Krishna]] (difficult to discern, yellow disk with red dot?) brown<br />
# [[Buddha in Hinduism|Buddha]] or [[Jagannath]] (conch shell) black<br />
# [[Kalki]] (sword) black<br />
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A third order and symbols is as follows:<ref>Description based on booklet supplied with a set of cards from Sawantwadi Lacquerwares, The Palace, Sawantwadi 416510 Maharashtra, India.</ref><br />
# [[Matsya]] (fish)<br />
# [[Kurma]] (turtle)<br />
# [[Varaha|Baraha]] (boar)<br />
# [[Narasimha|Nrisingha]] (lion, or half-man, half-lion)<br />
# [[Buddha in Hinduism|Buddha]] or [[Jagannath]] (conch shell)<br />
# [[Vamana|Baaman]] ([[Kamandalu|round vessel]])<br />
# [[Rama|Ram]] (bow and arrow)<br />
# [[Balaram]] or [[Krishna]] (round plate)<br />
# [[Parashurama|Parshuram]] (ax)<br />
# [[Kalki]] (sword)<br />
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The [[Ganjifa#Games|Dashavatar card game]] is a complicated one. It is played using 120 cards with numerous rules and regulations.<ref name=":0" /> It is played by three persons mainly in [[Sawantwadi]] in [[Maharashtra]], India, although it is played by five persons in [[Bishnupur, Bankura|Bishnupur]], [[West Bengal]]. It is considered the most popular Ganjifa set played throughout India, and depending on demand, this set may be extended up to 24 suits to encompass more major deities like Brahma, Shiva, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Surya, Chandra, etc.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inhcrf.org/blogs/an-introduction-to-ganjifa-cards/|title=An Introduction to Ganjifa Cards|last=Pati|first=Arunima|date=June 11, 2020|publisher=Indian Numismatic, Historical and Cultural Research Foundation|access-date=June 20, 2024}}</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
{{commons category|Dashavatara cards of Bishnupur, Bankura}}<br />
{{commons category|Dashavatara ganjifa set}}<br />
* [[Ganjifa]]<br />
* [[Ganjapa]] - Odisha variant<br />
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== Image gallery ==<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Dashavatara cards of Bishnupur DSC06168.jpg|Artist making Dashavatara cards of Bishnupur<br />
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File:Artist making Dashavatara cards of Bishnupur DSC06178.jpg|Artist making Dashavatara cards of Bishnupur<br />
File:Artist showing Dashavatara cards of Bishnupur DSC06181.jpg|Artist making Dashavatara cards of Bishnupur<br />
</gallery><br />
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==Notes==<br />
{{notelist}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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{{Culture of West Bengal}}<br />
{{Playing card packs by geography}}<br />
{{Mallabhum}}<br />
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[[Category:Indian card games]]<br />
[[Category:Indian handicrafts]]<br />
[[Category:Arts in India]]</div>YvonneTran476