“Imagine balancing a coconut on a stick while dancing around a circle, trying not to drop it!” This playful story is just one of many that inspired Vinita Sidhartha to create Kreeda.
Reviving Traditional Gaming Skills
“It wasn’t easy convincing people that traditional games could still be relevant in today’s digital age,” smiles Vinita Sidhartha, founder of Kreeda. “But seeing a child engrossed in a game of Pallanguzhi (a mind game which benefits in mathematical skills by making strategic moves with shells across a board with multiple pits), or an elder reminiscing about their childhood, makes every challenge worth it.” Vinita started her adventure at a time when it was unusual for women to open their own enterprises. It was difficult to balance work and home, and remote employment was unheard of. Since Kreeda wasn’t her main source of income, it allowed for organic growth without immediate financial strain and gave her a platform to think creatively. Today, Kreeda has grown into a well-respected organization, partnering with educational institutions and corporate entities to keep traditional Indian games alive and thriving.
The Pull of Entrepreneurship
Vinita’s path to Kreeda was far from linear. She pursued her education with vigor, earning a degree in journalism and communications from the University of Texas at Austin. Returning to India, she found limited opportunities in journalism, leading her to a career in public relations and communications. However, the demanding nature of these roles clashed with her responsibilities as a young mother. This push and pull eventually led her to entrepreneurship, where she established a successful content development agency. Despite financial success, Vinita yearned for deeper fulfillment.
Game-Changing Decision
Vinita’s decision to take on a project that would take her around India was a turning point in her life. This journey rekindled her interest in traditional games, a passion that had been sparked by her grandmother’s influence on her little children. Writing a series of articles on traditional games for The Hindu’s Young World, she found an eager audience. Inspired by a desire to protect and promote this aspect of Indian culture, she started researching traditional games. Vinita’s love for learning played a crucial role in this process. She thrives on new challenges and gets bored if she’s doing the same thing repeatedly. This passion drove her to delve deeply into historical texts and oral histories to ensure the games were developed authentically. Her dedication to preserving the true essence of these games helped her recreate them as they were originally played.
Winning Across Age Groups
Starting Kreeda was no easy feat. Vinita had to overcome many obstacles, including budgetary limitations and logistical problems. It was especially difficult to spread the word about Kreeda in the congested social media space. However, when people found Kreeda’s games, they fell in love with them even though the company didn’t have the same marketing power as larger corporations. The games’ ageless appeal was evident. Young children to the elderly enjoyed these games. “It requires patience and a lot of creativity to work with limited resources,” Vinita acknowledges. “But I enjoyed the process of figuring things out and solving problems.”
From Hurdles to Hoorays
Vinita soon discovered, though, that Kreeda, which is motivated more by passion than money, might not succeed financially. However, her first success gave her confidence and inspired her to keep going. “Seeing people enjoy the games was incredibly rewarding,” she says. “It made all the hard work worthwhile.” This initial validation fueled her determination to innovate further, ensuring each game resonated deeply with players and contributed to the preservation of India’s cultural heritage.
From Eight to Great
When Kreeda was first launched in 2002, it only included eight games. Vinita placed these games in three Chennai stores. They sold out immediately, which thrilled her and indicated that they were well received. Kreeda’s journey has been centered around innovation. Vinita was always experimenting with new concepts and giving classic games interesting new spins. For example, she created a version of the game “Chaupar” that had regional variants. Along with indoor games, Kreeda also offered outdoor activities like the walking game with coconut shells and the hoop and sticks (a game that uses a stick to ride the tire and balance it). In addition, Vinita combined play and storytelling when she designed card games inspired by Indian epics like the Ramayana.
Vinita made the conscious decision to allow Kreeda to grow naturally so that the business could progress at its own rate. Kreeda has grown to be a well-known brand and is now a regular participant in festivals like the popular Hanu Reddy Mango Festival. These events align with Kreeda’s philosophy of playing for joy rather than rewards. Vinita’s thorough research and community involvement have also helped Kreeda reach a wider audience. Certain classic Indian games are still remembered and played, while others need to be pieced together from fragments of memory and references found in books and temple inscriptions. Kreeda has tried to document and revive these games.
Community Impact and Connection
Vinita’s relationship with her people is an essential part of Kreeda. With the goal of involving various groups, she has planned a number of events, including corporate meets, book clubs, and school heritage clubs, all of which revolve around playing these classic games. Such gatherings encourage a feeling of pride in one’s culture and nostalgia. Vinita’s meticulous attempts to ensure the games stay true to tradition while making them relevant to modern times -say a lot about her passion for her mission. Traditional bright colors and patterns derived from temple carvings have been used in the presentation to keep it attractive. “Colors like yellow and red, signifying the traditional manjal-kumkum, are prominently used in Kreeda”, says Vinita
Kreeda’s impact extended beyond just preserving games. Because of Vinita’s background in the corporate and development sectors, her approach has resulted in projects that have given marginalized people more power. She highlights the special qualities of those she hires, including those with autism spectrum disorders. In addition, Kreeda encourages gender parity among its employees and upholds a policy that includes HIV-positive individuals.
Building a Rich Legacy
Today, Kreeda is recognized as a significant contributor to the revival of traditional Indian games. Vinita is really proud of the fact that kids who grew up with these traditional games are now passing on the tradition of cultural preservation to their own kids. The business is expanding and has a number of games that are almost ready for launch. Despite the serious challenges caused by COVID-19, Kreeda managed to adjust by organizing community outreach and game testing sessions. Vinita has big ambitions for the future, like bringing in new game ideas and growing Kreeda’s user base. She continues to be committed to her mission of conserving and advancing traditional Indian games.
Looking back, Vinita is proud of how far Kreeda has come but believes there’s lots more to do. “Kreeda has been more than a business; it’s a mission to preserve and celebrate our heritage,” she says. The journey has not been without its challenges, but Vinita’s resilience, creativity, and passion have driven Kreeda to its current success. She looks forward to a future where traditional games are an integral part of every Indian household, fostering connections across generations. As Kreeda continues to grow and evolve, Vinita remains committed to her purpose, ensuring that the richness of Indian culture is preserved for future generations.
Check them out: https://kreedagames.com/
