Tulai Lungum (Kashmir)

Number of Players

Requires at least two players, though it’s more fun with a group.

Setup

1. Find an open space with enough room for the players to move around safely.
2. Players stand in pairs or a circle, locking their arms from behind by hooking their elbows.

Objective

The goal is to pull the other player (or players) off balance while maintaining your own stance.

How to Play

1. Locking Arms:

Each player stands back-to-back with their partner or opponents, linking arms by hooking elbows behind them.

2. Action:

Once linked, players pull against each other, trying to either make the other lose balance, fall, or be dragged forward/backward.

3. Winning:

A player is out if they lose balance, fall, or let go of their partner’s arms.

The last player standing or the team with better coordination wins the round.

Rules

Players must keep their arms locked throughout the game.

No twisting or intentional tripping is allowed.

If playing in teams, coordination is key to pulling together.

Skills Developed

Teamwork and cooperation (if in pairs or teams).

Strength and balance.

Reflexes and quick thinking.

Tulai Langun was not just a game, but also an exercise that was enjoyed by both boys and girls. The players would pull each other on their backs with their arms twisted in opposite directions. As they played, they would chant, “Tulaay langur tulaan cheas, makhdoom seabun khasan cheas.” This game was considered a perfect exercise for the back and neck, and elders believed that those who played it would never suffer from any back or neck problems.

This version of Tuli Lungum is more physical, engaging, and great for building camaraderie while honoring Kashmiri tradition.

This variant is played on a circular field, with an inner circle and outer boundary being demarcated. At the start of the game, two of the players become a cat and mouse respectively, with all other players becoming pitchers. All of the pitchers pair off and stand around the perimeter of the inner circle, with each pair holding each other by the elbow. The cat’s goal is to tag the mouse; if the mouse links their elbow with one of the pitchers, then the pitcher who is not connected to the mouse disconnects from the pairing and swaps roles with the mouse. If the cat catches the mouse, then they swap roles.

In one variation of elbow tag, when a mouse links their elbow with one of the pitchers, the pitcher who disconnects from the pairing becomes a cat, and the previous cat becomes a mouse.

The same game is known as ‘standing kho-kho’ in South Asia, a variation of the Indian tag variant kho-kho. In the ‘standing kho-kho’ variant, players simply stand in front of or behind each other as opposed to hooking their elbows together.