Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Goa are the only Indian states, along with the union territory of Daman and Diu, that regulate gambling. Sikkim was the first to do so, while Meghalaya only passed its gambling regulation law last year.
Before that, Meghalaya only had one form of authorized gambling. This game, which still involves large sums of money in Shillong, is called ‘Teer’ (Arrow). It’s an archery-based game with a twist: the outcome depends on the interpretation of the bettors’ dreams. It might sound confusing, but it’s deeply rooted in Meghalaya’s culture and folklore.
Let’s dive into how this traditional gambling game works and its connection to local traditions.
Teer: A Game of Luck and Dreams in Meghalaya
About 20 archers gather in a semi-circle to play a two-round game lasting five minutes each. Their goal is to hit a bundle of straws about 50 meters away. Each round, the archers shoot between 300 to 1,000 arrows. After the rounds, officials count how many arrows hit the bundle.
Players, or punters, bet on how many arrows will hit the target. They choose a number between 0 and 99, representing the last two digits of the total number of arrows that hit the target. For example, if 350 arrows hit the bundle, anyone who picked 50 will win.
There are five types of bets:
- Single (0 to 9)
- House (10 to 19, 20 to 29, etc.)
- Ending (the last digit)
- Pair (11, 22, 33, etc.)
- Fourcast (predicting the exact numbers in both rounds for a higher payout)
Although it may seem like a game of luck, for locals, it’s a tradition. They believe that winning numbers appear in their dreams, which they interpret before placing their bets.
Loknath Khanna, a Nepali local who has been selling tickets at a Teer counter for 30 years, explains, “A corpse, doctor, and a person in a police uniform would all suggest the number 9. Similarly, a dog or a cow would mean the number 4.”
Here are a few more signs and symbols for interpreting dreams in Teer, according to Teer Today:
Quarrel between husband and wife: 03, 08, 13, 37, 40, 73
Erotic dream: 17, 40, 53, 59, 60, 83
Bathing in the open: 08, 18, 28, 48, 78, 98
Travelling: 08, 14, 18, 52, 64, 68, 74, 78, 98
Travelling in an aeroplane: 23, 43, 53, 63, 68, 73, 83, 93
Cow, goat or buffalo: 12, 18, 19, 22, 24, 34, 42, 54, 72, 74, 84, 94, 97
And there’s much more.
Walking through the main market of Shillong shows how popular and commercialized Teer has become. After being legalized in 1982, every ticket seller now gives 10 percent of their earnings to the government, along with paying the archers and covering other costs.
Tax on tickets
“There are about 500 to 600 counters and an almost unlimited number of bookies in Shillong alone, where bets can reach up to Rs. 5 crores in a single day,” a bookie in Shillong told Edition.CNN.
These archers are not full-time professionals. They treat this game as extra income and earn between 300 to 500 rupees a day for about three hours of work.
However, the Teer tradition has seen a slight decline since the Meghalaya Cabinet decided to re-launch the state lottery in December 2019.
Despite this, many people remain connected to Teer. For them, it is more than just gambling; it’s a way to stay connected to their roots and traditions.
Teer brings the community together, with both old and young people enthusiastic about the game. It also provides extra income for archers from remote villages, making Teer a way of life for the people of Meghalaya.
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