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Snakes and Ladders was a board game that possibly originated in India.  The game can be found in various versions with various names across India.  Vaikuntha Pali, Mokshapatam, Parampadam Sopaanam, Kailash Pheri, Ninyaanbe ka Pher, Karmaphal Pheri, Jnana Baazi, Jnana Chaupar, Leela are some of the names that are popularly associated to some ancient versions of this game.  However, there are Jain versions, Buddhist Versions, Sufi versions, Persian versions and many other contextual adaptations of this game as well.   

Snakes and Ladders is a board game that has found mention in many Bharatiya texts and possibly has originated in India.  The game can be found in various versions with various names across India.  Vaikuntha Pali, Mokshapatam, Parampadam Sopaanam, Kailash Pheri, Ninyaanbe ka Pher, Karmaphal Pheri, Jnana Baazi, Jnana Chaupar, Leela are some of the names that are popularly associated to some ancient versions of this game.  However, there are Jain versions, Buddhist Versions, Sufi versions, Persian versions and many other contextual adaptations of this game as well.   

What I realised is that each one of the games encodes a particular belief, lifestyle, philosophy and social context within it.  If we attempt to document the hidden nuances of these games, we can possibly associate them to a society that believed in this philosophy and tried to propagate it.     

What I realised is that each one of the games encodes a particular belief, lifestyle, philosophy and social context within it.  If we attempt to document the hidden nuances of these games, we can possibly associate them to a society that believed in this philosophy and tried to propagate it.     

There must have been an ancient version of the snakes and ladders board game which reflected the beliefs of Vedic times.  As social systems changed, the game evolved by accepting the changing beliefs and traditions of the "newer societies".  The Jain, the Sufi, the Buddhists and Islam, all accepted the beautiful design of the board game, but changed it's content and structure to suit their context.  The British also adopted the game and re-designed it as a game of morals and ethics. Their colonies adopted this new version of snakes and ladders as well, and thus was India's age old "mokshapatam", "vaikuntha pali", "jnana chaupar" and "karma pher" got renamed as snakes and ladders that we play today.   

There must have been an ancient version of the snakes and ladders board game which reflected the beliefs of Vedic times.  As social systems changed, the game evolved by accepting the changing beliefs and traditions of the "newer societies".  The Jain, the Sufi, the Buddhists and Islam, all accepted the beautiful design of the board game, but changed it's content and structure to suit their context.  The British also adopted the game and re-designed it as a game of morals and ethics. Their colonies adopted this new version of snakes and ladders as well, and thus was India's age old "mokshapatam", "vaikuntha pali", "jnana chaupar" and "karma pher" got ras snakes and ladders that we play today.   

Taking this thought further, we have re-created a very ancient version of the सर्प - सोपानं game that existed in ancient India. This was a 72 cell game board with some interesting words inscribed within each cell<ref>[[commons:File:Snakes_and_Ladders_(Game_of_Heaven_&_Hell)_Wellcome_L0035004.jpg|https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snakes_and_Ladders_(Game_of_Heaven_%26_Hell)_Wellcome_L0035004.jpg]]</ref>.  Some seemed to be moral and karmic, while others were more difficult to understand.  However, since there were multiple games designs under the name Jnana Chaupar, we decided to call this particular version ''Buddhi Yoga''.  This version is very similar to other versions like Leela, however, the contents of some of the cells are different and the way the snakes have been configured is also different.

Taking this thought further, we have re-created a very ancient version of the सर्प - सोपानं game that existed in ancient India. This was a 72 cell game board with some interesting words inscribed within each cell<ref>[[commons:File:Snakes_and_Ladders_(Game_of_Heaven_&_Hell)_Wellcome_L0035004.jpg|https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snakes_and_Ladders_(Game_of_Heaven_%26_Hell)_Wellcome_L0035004.jpg]]</ref>.  Some seemed to be moral and karmic, while others were more difficult to understand.  However, since there were multiple games designs under the name Jnana Chaupar, we decided to call this particular version ''Buddhi Yoga''.  This version is very similar to other versions like Leela, however, the contents of some of the cells are different and the way the snakes have been configured is also different.