Gautam Sen Memorial Boardgame Museum

Souvik Saturday, September 10, 2022 ,

 

Gautam Sen Memorial Boardgames Museum

Trying to address the lack of any public resource on ancient boardgames in Kolkata, the Gautam Sen Memorial Boardgame Museum has been started as a modest venture to create an awareness of the rich culture of boardgames among the general public, researchers and enthusiasts. Mr Gautam Sen, my father-in-law, whose untimely demise we mourn was a chess-player par excellence and it is fitting that Amrita and I dedicate our joint efforts in building this museum to his memory. As one of the first few  visitors to what is a fledgling project we seek your blessings and bid you welcome. 

The museum hosts a collection of boardgames both ancient and modern, ranging from the oldest ever boardgame, The Royal Game of Ur to current games such as Settlers of Catan and Grizzled. On display are mainly the older games from different parts of the world with a focus on Indian games, of course. You will find games such as Go, Mancala and Senet here as well as a collection of Ganjifa cards and chess sets from all over the world. 

The museum is an entirely non-profit and private space and entry is by invitation or prior appointment only. It is still a very small effort and we encourage only those who are really interested in boardgames to visit. 

The timings are 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m on weekends.

There is no charge for visiting the museum.

Here is our new website with details of how you can visit: 

https://sites.google.com/view/kolkataboardgamemuseum/home

We request you not to touch the exhibits and while the museum is also open to children, we encourage supervised visits. Also, the boardgames are not available to play unless you obtain special permission. 

Browsing the museum is easy and there are three ways to go about it:

  • You could use the museum’s mobile devices to scan the QR codes (on the exhibits for detailed information. We have tried to consult authoritative sources and in most cases the codes will direct you to the Ludii Portal, which is one of the authoritative research sites on boardgames. Where the Ludii website does not have the information, we have referred you to similar academic forums. 
  • You could also use this index and read the entries following the numbered exhibits. 
  • If you are feeling chatty and want an adda over a cup of tea, just ask me about an exhibit and I will jog my memory for information and of course, anecdotes.
Finally, some of the games are available as apps and are installed on our mobile devices. There are also printed copies of some of the game-boards. You are most welcome to play! 

Once again, Welcome to the Gautam Sen Board Games Museum!!!


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