RURAL GAMES. SPECIAL TO THE VILLAGES AND FIELDS THEY WERE PLAYED IN. BASED ON WHAT PEOPLE FOUND AROUND THEM. SEEDS & STONES BECAME DICE, FLOWERS TURNED INTO WHISTLES, AND EVERY ONCE IN A WAY, SOMETHING FROM NATURE THAT INSPIRES A HANDCRAFTED TOY. 

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A TOP WORKS ON THE PRINCIPLE OF SPINNING ON ITS OWN VERTICAL AXIS. AS LONG AS IT IS SPINNING FAST, IT WILL STAY VERTICAL. WHEN IT SLOWS DOWN, THE AXIS SHIFTS SIDEWAYS, GIVING GRAVITY A CHANCE TO THROW IN SOME TORQUE. THIS THEN RESULTS IN THE TOP STARTING TO WOBBLE AND SWING. THE SLOWER THE SPIN, THE MORE THE SWING. EVENTUALLY, THE TOP WILL COME TO A STOP. SIMPLE PHYSICS.

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THE BAMBARAM, A TYPE OF FLICK-SPINNING TOP, SEEMS TO HAVE ORIGINATED IN THE THIRUNELVELI DISTRICT OF TAMIL NADU. A CARPENTER CARVED AND SHAPED A ROUNDED WOODEN KNOB. STUCK A SHARP NAIL INTO THE NARROW BOTTOM AND FIGURED THE FLICK OF THE STRING WOULD SEND THE TOP FLYING AND MAKE IT SPIN ON A SURFACE. THIS WAS EASY ENOUGH. SO THEN, THE RULES FOR THE GAME WERE MADE.

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ON A COUNT OF 3, WIND THE STRING AROUND THE TOP AND SET IT IN MOTION. LET IT SPIN FOR A BIT. AND THEN - USE THE SAME STRING TO PULL THE TOP BACK UP INTO YOUR HAND. WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE TO CONTROL HOW FAR YOU THROW THE TOP. SOME OF THE STRING STILL NEEDS TO STAY WOUND. THAT'S HOW YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FLICK THE TOP BACK UP TOWARDS YOU TO END THE GAME.

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THE BAMBARAMS WERE MADE FROM ANY WOOD LYING IN A CARPENTER'S SHED. MANY COULD BE MADE. AND EVERY CHILD COULD HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIALLY PAINTED TOP.

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BAMBARAM. OUR ESPRESSO BLEND. A SHOT IS ENOUGH.