One circle, many names

Your grandmother ran one. She just called it something else.

The same arrangement, in every part of India, under a different name. Beeshi speaks eleven of those languages, because the circle was never one thing.

भिशी

bhishi


Maharashtra

Craft key — Warli, Palghar

कमेटी

committee


North India

Craft key — Chikankari, Lucknow

চিট

chit


West Bengal

Craft key — Kantha stitch

ચિઠ્ઠી

chitthi


Gujarat

Craft key — Bandhani, Kutch

ಚೀಟಿ

cheeti


Karnataka

Craft key — Kasuti embroidery

കുറി

kuri


Kerala

Craft key — Kasavu border

ଚିଟ୍

chit


Odisha

Craft key — Pattachitra

ਕਮੇਟੀ

committee


Punjab

Craft key — Phulkari

சீட்டு

chittu


Tamil Nadu

Craft key — Kolam

చీటీ

cheeti


Telangana

Craft key — Kalamkari

Kitty

kitty party


Everywhere else

Craft key —

Not only ours — the same circle is a gameya in Egypt, a tanda in Mexico, a susu in West Africa, a chama in Kenya, an arisan in Indonesia. Economists call it a ROSCA. Everyone else calls it Tuesday.

Run yours in your own language.

Download Beeshi