Mahjong in India

Don’t underestimate the game of Mahjong. If you play this game, and play it well, you’ll have a better understanding of life and relationships. It is said that there is philosophy in Mahjong.   Yes, there is… it’s a fact that the mahjong game actually reflects our day to day life. It teaches us, very subtly, some very important lessons of life…..the philosophy of life.     Mahjong is played with 144 tiles which represent 12 x 12 zodiac signs. The three dragons represent heaven (white dragon/ soap), earth (green dragon) and man (red dragon).  Then there are the winds, the flowers, the seasons, and so on.   Have you ever groaned about life being unfair after being dealt a poor hand in a mahjong game? Life doesn’t seem to care much about fairness, does it?    I have learnt a few of life’s lessons from playing mahjong.   Firstly, play the hand you are dealt with; that is actually the hardest part, to recover from your opening tiles if they are bad.  We cannot control what tiles we get, but

What I  have noticed of late, specially while playing Goulash, is that once a player throws a tile, and the next person picks from the wall;  then another player wants to claim the throw.  Here comes the importance of "Racking", and  "Window of Opportunity" rule. Normally, when a discard has been made by the player at your left and it is your turn, you follow these steps: 1. Pause and count 3. This is so that anyone at the table can have a chance to call for the current live discard. 2. Take the tile from the live end of the wall, and bring it towards yourself. Some people look at the tile while doing so, but this is a bad idea because other players can see the tile, too. 3. Some people just look at the tile without racking it. This is acceptable; but just know that the window of opportunity on the live discard remains open while you're looking at your new tile. You might have to put it back. Some people, in the interest of closing the window so as to

That beautiful Mahjong set I bought in Singapore, held a very special place not only in my heart but also in one of my boxes! It only saw light when i was packing and unpacking during our many postings. And I still didn't know how to play the game. This wasn't because I was dumb and couldn't pick up this "intelligent" game, but more because I didn't come across anyone in our circles who played.  Every posting, during the packing and unpacking, I would open the set, soak in the sight of the beautiful tiles but still oblivious to how to play with them. Then in 2008 we moved to Pathankot, where there was some buzz about this game and this is where I finally, nearly after 7 years of buying the set, learnt this beautiful game of tiles. This is also when I realised that this game is above all barriers and builds friendships for life. Pathankot times were great Mahjong times....  But soon it was time for us to move again, and this time to West Bengal where agai

Mahjong is an ancient game, popular throughout the world. It's a fun game, and fosters friendship and bonds for a lifetime. It makes an excellent social activity and prevents isolation for people of all ages. It teaches patience; while sitting for long hours, waiting for your turn, and waiting on your tile, patience is a significant factor in the game. Mah Jongg also helps improve a person’s memory and sharpens the mind. It helps people to make faster decisions and better observations, and also forces players to think on different spectrums. In order to make a winning hand, players need to stay mentally alert throughout the game. But every game comes with a set of rules and etiquettes. Mah Jongg is a versatile game and it has a whole lot of variations.  It is said that, “the day after mah-jongg was created; it was played at a second table, with a second set of rules”! So, each table can have their own rules as long as they are agreeable by all the four players. Therefore, i

My First Mahjong Set It was 2001 and we were holidaying in Singapore. The tourist circuit of Singapore brought us to the very crowded but enchanting lanes of Chinatown. The quaint shops were a shoppers paradise indeed ; and it was there that I saw a small shop selling Mahjong sets! Now, I had never played this game.... In fact, I'd never ever even seen Mahjong tiles, but  yes, I had definitely heard about the game. I looked very expectantly at my husband, who although was open to shopping, but hated carrying extra weight. So, it was decided.....we were buying a set! But now, which one? Like typical Punjus, we decided, bigger the better🤣... and went in for the biggest tiles available... Of course, they were the heaviest too... which we realised much later. (I think my husband could not have imagined the weight of the tiles... 😜) They were not the much lauded "Bone & Bamboo" tiles, but were beautifully painted in red, green and blue. The set has 160

Limit / Full limit / 1000 count hands for East and South Wind rounds 1 Knitting 7 knits in any 2 suits 2 NEWS Knit NEWS and 5 knits in any 2 suits 3 Dragon Knit RWG + 1 extra dragon + 5 knits in 2 suits 4 Clean Pairs 7 pairs in any one suit … or with honours pairs 5 Dirty Pairs A pair in each suit + pair of own wind /wind of the round  + pair of any dragon + any 2 pairs (Honors own pick). 6 Crochet 4 crochets + pair of your wind / wind of the round 7 Mixed Blossom Pung of RED dragon + pair of GREEN dragon or vice versa + 3 mixed runs 8 Chinese Dragon Pung of any dragon + one each of other Dragons + 3 mixed runs 9 Apple Blossom Pung of WHITE dragon + pair of GREEN dragon or vice versa + 3 mixed runs 10 Breezy  Bees Pung of your own wind / wind of the round + pair of any dragon + RES