History of Snakes and Ladders Game Inspired by India’s Moksha Patam
History of Snakes and Ladders Game Inspired by India’s Moksha Patam
Snakes and Ladders is a traditional board game that originated in ancient India.
Its earliest form was called Moksha Patam, meaning “the path to liberation.” The game was designed as a moral and religious teaching tool: players moved through life, with ladders representing virtues that helped people progress and snakes representing vices that caused them to fall backward.
The exact date of its invention is uncertain, but versions of the game existed in India by at least the 16th or 17th century.
some people connect its development to the poet and saint Gyandev, although this attribution is not certain.
Ancient Indian Origins