Carrom (also spelled karrom) is a "strike-and-pocket" tabletop game of South Asian origin. The game is very popular in Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and surrounding areas, and is known by various names in different languages. In South Asia, many clubs and cafés hold regular tournaments. Carrom is very commonly played by families, including children, and at social functions. Different standards and rules exist in different areas.
Origins:-
The game of carrom is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent. Although no concrete evidence is available, it is believed that carrom was invented by the Indian Maharajas. One carrom board with its surface made of glass is still available in one of the palaces in Patiala, India.[1] It became very popular among the masses after World War I. State-level competitions were being held in different States of India during early part of the nineteenth century. Serious carrom tournaments may have begun in Sri Lanka in 1935 but by 1958, both India and Sri Lanka had formed official federations of carrom clubs, sponsoring tournaments and awarding prizes.
Similar games based on carrom:-
The game has similarities to billiards, table shuffleboard, and shove ha'penny; though smaller. It may be ancestral (via British India and French Indochina) to several similar Western games including novuss, crokinole, pichenotte, and pitchnut.
Objective of play:-
The objective of play is to use a striker disk with a flick of the finger to make contact with and move lighter object disks called carrom men, which are thus propelled into one of four corner pockets.
The aim of the game is to pot (pocket) one's nine carrom men and the queen before one's opponent does.
