Ganjifa are playing cards from India and other nations in the region. Usually round, some rectangular decks have been produced. The most significant difference between Ganjifa and other types of cards is that Ganjifa cards have traditionally been individually hand painted. There are any where from eight to twelve or more suits per deck, each suit having usually twelve ranks. The two most common Ganjifa decks are the Mughal which has eight suits and the Dashavatara which has ten. The suits have pip cards numbered from Ace through ten and two court cards, the Pradhan and Raja or the Wizir and Mir. Ganjifa solitaire games play the same as games that use the standard deck but the larger number of different cards in a deck (96 to 120 or more) adds an element of complexity. The fact that each suit has it's own color makes things quite interesting in games that use "Alternate Color" row stacks. Ganjifa packs also have another characteristic that may effect play. That is the strength or force of the suits. The suits are split in two equal halves with one half being the Strong or Powerful and the other being the Weak. In some Ganjifa game variations the Strong and Weak suits switch places depending on whether the game is being played at night or during day light hours. The names of the suits, their spellings, the arrangement within the deck and other characteristics of the pack and the play were taken from one of the authoritative sources on Ganjifa. That being the book "Ganjifa, the playing cards of India" by Rudolf Von Leydon with contributions by Michael Dummett.
Dashavatara Suits
Navagraha Suits
Mughal Suits
Contents
Key Bindings
Menu Bar Tree
Glossary
Index
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