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Playable heritage game

Kotta Pora

Also known as කොට්ටා පොර · pillow fight on a log

Two players perch on a horizontal log held above a pit of soft mud or a pile of mats, one hand behind the back, and swing pillows at each other until one of them tips off. It is a game of laughter and quick balance, played at village gatherings.

Play the previewAbout this tradition
Kotta Pora: photograph by YaSiRu11
Photo: YaSiRu11, CC BY-SA 4.0, source on Wikimedia Commons
Kotta Pora: the game in attract modeLive previewPlay

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How to play

  1. Watch your rival's stance: it shows the swing that is coming.
  2. Tap the answering move while the marker is in the bright zone.
  3. Big swings push hard but arrive slowly; a quick tap lands first.
  4. Win two of three rounds.
Rules at a glance
  • Every swing, tap and brace beats two others and is beaten by two others.
  • A player pushed off the end of the log, or whose balance is gone, loses the round.
  • Timing sets the strength of a move: inside the bright zone is full strength.
  • A round also ends when one player is six points ahead or when the clock runs out.
  • Use Breathe to recover stamina; tired swings are weak.

About the tradition

Kotta pora is played in villages across Sri Lanka at the Sinhala and Tamil new year games, with a log set up over soft ground. Neighbours and cousins cheer, and the fall into the mud is part of the fun.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of South Asia.

Credits

Sources

Get the app

Kotta Pora is one of 18 sports and skill games in the Sports & Skill of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 18 sports and skill games in the app

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