Juwako Khaal

	Juwako Khaal
	NITYA PANDEY By nature, human beings yearn for more – may it be challenges, success, money or something else. It is this unlimited desire that makes people go for that one another bet which leads to the next one and then a few more. That is exactly how the gambling principle works. Gambling, known as “juwa” in Nepali, has always been prohibited by the state in Nepal, and also scorned by the society and religions in one way or the other. Nevertheless, it is an interesting paradox that no matter how illegitimate gambling may be considered by the moral police and legal authorities, it is a major part of Nepali culture. Noted historian and Professor Dinesh Raj Pant traces its history back to the Vedic ages where the epic Mahabharat was set. Legends state that the 100-strong Kaurava brothers invited their five first cousins, the Pandavas, to play pasa with an intention of bringing them down. The Pandavas, during the game, were egged on by the Kauravs’ crafty uncle Shakuni. They finally ended up losing their wealth, land and even their common wife Draupadi, as since back then, a woman too was considered her husband’s property. “That game of pasa is a crucial event in the celebrated epic and one of the major reasons behind the great war of The Mahabharat at the battlefield of the Kurukshhetra,” Professor Pant explains. He further quotes the Shastras where gambling has been tagged as “durbyasan” which means an immoral act that gives momentary pleasure but has detrimental consequences in the long term scenario. And this idea was deeply embedded on the psyche of the general people as well as the rulers who molded their perspectives accordingly regarding the indulgence of gambling. “In the Nepali Year 1862 [some 210 years ago], King Ran Bahadur Shah forbade his courtiers and citizens from gambling except during festivals, considering it a shady activity,” he says. That being said, one of the chief rituals during Tihar is the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu deity of wealth and prosperity. And this puja is considered incomplete without at least one game of taas, kauda or pasa in the house. In fact, gambling has always been an inseparable part of all sorts of auspicious occasions, festivities and merrymaking in Nepal. “Even during the regimes of the Shah Kings and Rana rulers, whenever a battle was won or there were marriages or births in the royal family, people were allowed to gamble for a few days. But other than those designated periods of celebrations, if caught gambling, people would be immediately put behind the bars,” adds Professor Pant. The entire setup for gambling with an assortment of cards, dice, mats and cowries along with the players seated at their respective places is known as “khaal” in Nepali. Those who are addicted to gambling are called “baharamaase” which means “round the year.” According to Professor Pant, this is a rather deprecating term to describe gamblers, or “juwaade” in Nepali. “Those who earn their livelihood through gambling are tagged as criminals by the law and sinners in the eyes of religion,” he further comments. Subin Karmacharya*, a local of Kathmandu, admits to having visited such a professional khaal in his neighborhood in the past. Although illegal, this place catered well to the needs and interests of its regular patrons. He describes the place as a “home casino” where gambling used to be a full-fledged business. The owners of the house provided foods, drinks, cigarettes and everything else required for a party. In return, the players had to pay them certain amount of money as “commission” after every bout of wagering. “People would come there with a lot of money and play for hours. Sometimes, the winners would be so thrilled that they would even distribute jitauri, that is, a certain portion of their winnings, to the organizers,” he recalls. DIPESH SHRESTHA But apart from those who take up gambling as a profession, there are a majority of people for whom it is just a means of fun and entertainment to spice up the festivities. Shishir Bhattarai, a Chartered Accountant, considers playing cards the best part of Tihar. He takes the card game of Marriage as a unique combination of brains and luck and enjoys it thoroughly. However, he also thinks that gambling is good only if it is limited to fun and entertainment. “If gambling becomes an addiction, it can destroy a person’s life forever,” he says. His idea is supported by Shradda Dhungel, a PhD student, who believes that gambling is safe only as long as it is not money-oriented. She considers it a fun ritual that brings all friends and family members together and creates a lighthearted, festive atmosphere. “To be able to play cards used to make me feel like an adult. I consider it just another part of growing up,” she says. In addition to those who play cards only during festivals, there are also those who play them throughout the year as a hobby or pastime. Kripa Lohani, Executive Director of Purple Events Dot Com Nepal, sees no harm in playing cards at any time as long as it is limited to the close-knit circle of family and friends. There is never an issue of winning or losing when playing cards is just one good reason to have a nice family gathering. “Even my grandmother loves to play cards. She’s an extremely disciplined player. As any other game, if it’s played with the right attitude and conduct, it can be a good means of recreation,” she says. Some people actually enjoy a nice game of cards just like others enjoy reading, watching TV, traveling, dancing or playing some sports. For them, money doesn’t matter and gambling is more of a hobby than an addiction or obsession. Managing Director of Purple Events Dot Com Nepal, Kripesh Lohani likes to play cards purely because it is associated with number-related politics, luck and brains. He is not interested in going to the casinos or professional gambling dens to gamble and make money. But he is fond of playing cards every other weekend with close friends and relatives who share his love for the game. “Every game is different and interesting in its own way. The game of Marriage is all about how you organize your permutation and throw the right cards. The three-card Flush tests your own daring and in-between shows how lucky you are,” he explains. Each person has his/her own reason to gamble. The culture of gambling is ancient in terms of its roots and rich in terms of history. Although it is declared illegal by the law and immoral by religious faiths, it is a culture that still shows no signs of ebbing away. And with Tihar just round the corner, the charm is at its peak, and all one can hope for is more bets, gambles and tests for Lady Luck. (* name changed) More gambling with dice and cowries With Tihar being almost synonymous with gambling, cards and casinos are not the only places to bet your money on. In the game of luck, the desire to win knows no bounds, and the betting games come in various number, nature and methods. Thus, with the lights of Tihar, comes the frenzy of langur burja, kauda and pasa. A game of luck and probabilities, langur burja is also known as khodkhode in some parts of Nepal. The game is played with six dice and a mat. The dice have symbols of spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs, crown and flag imprinted on each of their faces. The mat has the same symbols as well. The players choose one or more symbols to bet their money on. When the dice are thrown, if they get at least one die with the same symbol on which the bet has been placed, they win. In the same way, the money gets multiplied by the number of dice that show the sign. However, if no die displays the symbol on which the money is betted on, the money is taken by the thrower or the game master. Langur burja, as Divyesh Subedi*, a student, describes, is something that he grew up with. Divyesh, who spent his childhood in Nawalparasi, remembers not just playing the game but also becoming the game master during Dashain and Tihar. He does not just call this gambling but considers this a major highlight of the yearly festivities. “We used to save money to play langur burja. But we were never allowed to put more than a rupee or two,” he says. Along with langur burja, the game of kaudas is another major part of Tihar celebrations. A game of sixteen cowries, the result depends on the number of cowries that have their grooves facing upwards. For example, if the grooves of five cowries face up, then the panja dau takes the money on the ground. It proceeds in the same way in a cyclic order. Kauda is played with four players who have the four seats called ‘khal’ or ‘dau’ which are teeya (three), chauka (four), panja (five) and chhakka (six), respectively. And apart from the four players, there are unlimited numbers of people called ‘chyakhey’ who bet on behalf of the players. Basuki Thakur, an employee at Airtech Industry, describes “kauda” or “kaudi” as an important ritual of Laxmi Puja during Tihar. He also takes it as a way to test one’s luck for the year ahead and reveres it as a custom that has been going on for centuries. “Kaudas can either be made out of silver or seashells. But they are a part of all happy occasions. They are brought out on Kojagrat Poornima in Dashain and Laxmi Puja in Tihar. Likewise, a game of kaudas is played even during marriage ceremonies between the families of the bride and the groom in our community,” he explains. He further goes on to describe “pasa,” another traditional way of gambling. Pasa is a game of three long, rectangular shaped dice. The thrower throws the dice and the dots painted on each face of the dice are added up in order to make the total point that the players have previously betted on. “It’s basically luck. We’ve been playing it since the days of Mahabharata, which is the Vedic period,” says Thakur. Langur burja, kauda and pasa all are an integral part of our culture. They have religious, historical and cultural significance in our society. However, gambling, by law, is prohibited in Nepal. And unless it is practiced as a part of yearly festivities or integral customs, it is neither allowed by the law nor promoted by the society. Casino Fever There are people who take gambling as a fun way to pass the time and an important part of Tihar and other festivities. However, in addition to that, for many others, gambling is a daily routine. Quite a few have made it a business and consider it a means of earning easy money. They tend to ignore or overlook the fact that gambling is illegal except as a fun activity during festivals and celebrations, and gambling in casinos is strictly prohibited for Nepalis by law. Manjil Mukarung, Inspector at Metropolitan Police, Crime Division, reveals that there are groups of investors in gambling business who provide loans to gamble and charge high interest to the gamblers. Although the law does not allow it, he comments that there are backdoor entries for Nepalis in the casinos. “We arrest gamblers and the severity of their punishment depends on the number of times they have been arrested. These people are sent to the Chief District Officer for further legal actions and proceedings,” he says. Chief District Officer of Kathmandu Basant Raj Sharma agrees that gambling is strongly discouraged by the state. He explains that one-time gamblers are made to sign a document saying that they will never indulge in such activities again, fined a certain amount of money and then released. However, those gamblers who have made gambling their profession and are brought into the custody more often are taken to the court and tried under the Gambling Law of 2020 BS (1963). “It’s easy to differentiate professionals from amateurs. Also, we increase police supervision during festivals because that’s when beginners are lured into it, usually by the more experienced players,” he says. That being said, the temptation to gamble lives on. According to Makarung, in the past six months alone, 68 Nepalis have been arrested from various casinos in Kathmandu, out of whom eight are females. Binay Ghimire*, who works at one of the leading casinos in the Valley, regards the system of backdoor entries for Nepalis as the major reason behind casinos being viewed in a negative light. According to him, casinos today, instead of being a medium for bringing home foreign currency, have become the sites where Nepalis ruin their lives and fortunes. “I admit that there have been backdoor entries in the past. But sometimes, the situation gets tricky. People enter with fake IDs or passports. At times, it’s difficult to refuse them entry just because they look like Nepalis because so many Indians and other nationals may have similar features,” he explains. Inveterate gambling, however, is an addiction that is not easy to get rid of. It is all about testing one’s luck to its limits and living in a moment of frenzy. The hope of getting your money doubled is like a quicksand that continues to pull a person in. As someone who had had the opportunity to be at a casino a few years ago, Suyesh Rimal* describes the place as a “magic land.” Although a little lost in the beginning, it did not take him long to figure out what pulled people to this mystical world of cards, coins and chips. “A casino is a monstrous machine that sucks the money out of you. It can turn a prince into a pauper within hours. But human beings possess an unlimited desire to win and this makes them unable to stop,” he says. Casinos have been around in Kathmandu for quite a few decades now. The major aim behind their establishment was and is to generate foreign currency. However, Nepalis too seem to have found their way in more than once, via personal connections, fake IDs or some illicit means. Habitual gambling is a deadly obsession that can destroy a person thoroughly. And betting one’s money, jewelry, land, house, car and everything else in a few hours of madness can be a grave mistake that one may have to pay heavily for.