Ghat Ka Diya: Paper Boat Kitty Party Game Rules and Twists
Ghat Ka Diya is a team relay kitty party game where each lady blows a paper boat carrying an LED diya across a parat (wide steel tray) of water using only a straw, like floating a diya at the ghat. The first team whose every lady gets the boat across without the diya falling in wins. The twist is the Hawa card: each team can once make a lady from another team blow back against their boat for 5 seconds. It needs only a parat, paper, an LED tealight and straws, and suits 8 to 20 ladies in 10 to 15 minutes, especially around Chhath and Dev Diwali.
Ghat Ka Diya in pictures
What do you need to play Ghat Ka Diya?
- One parat, big steel tray or plastic tub per team, filled with about 2 inches of water
- Two folded paper boats per team, ideally made from glossy magazine pages
- One battery operated LED tealight per team (never a real diya)
- One straw per lady, so nobody shares
- One paper card marked HAWA per team
- An old bedsheet or towels under each parat to catch splashes
How to play Ghat Ka Diya, step by step
- Split the ladies into teams of 4 or 5. Place one parat of water on an old bedsheet for each team and mark a START side and a PAAR (finish) side.
- Each team folds a paper boat and places a lit LED tealight in the middle of it.
- The first lady puts the boat at START and blows it across to PAAR through her straw, without touching the boat or the water with her hands.
- When the boat reaches PAAR, the next lady takes it back to START and blows it across, and so on down the team.
- Any team can play its Hawa card once: a lady from that team stands at the PAAR side of another team's parat and blows the boat backwards through her straw for 5 seconds.
- If the diya falls into the water or the boat sinks, that lady puts the boat back at START and tries again. Spare boats are allowed if one gets soggy.
Rules: how do you win?
- Hands may not touch the boat or the water. If they do, the boat goes back to START.
- If the LED diya falls into the water, the current lady restarts from START.
- Each team has one Hawa card, usable only once, for exactly 5 seconds against one other team.
- The first team whose every lady has blown the boat across to PAAR wins and is crowned Ghat ki Rani.
Fun twists to make it crazier
- Pankha mode: instead of a straw, fan the boat across with a folded paper or a small hand fan.
- Song mode: everyone hums "Kaagaz ki kashti" while blowing, and stopping the tune means a 3 second pause.
- Final round: one lady from each team steers two boats at once with one straw.
Tips for the host
- Use only LED tealights. Never put a real lit diya or candle on a paper boat indoors.
- Fold boats from glossy magazine pages or rub a wax crayon on the bottom so they stay afloat longer.
- Give every lady her own straw for hygiene, and keep spare boats ready.
- Use shallow water and a sheet underneath so the floor stays dry and nobody slips.
Frequently asked questions
How many players do you need for Ghat Ka Diya?
At least 2 teams of 4. With 8 to 20 ladies, make 2 to 4 teams of 4 or 5, each with its own parat, and the game takes 10 to 15 minutes.
What do you need to play Ghat Ka Diya?
A parat or tub of shallow water and two paper boats per team, one LED tealight per team, a straw for every lady, a Hawa card per team and an old sheet for the floor.
Is Ghat Ka Diya a good Chhath or Dev Diwali kitty game?
Yes. It recreates floating a diya on water at the ghat in a safe, indoor way, so it fits Chhath, Kartik Purnima and Dev Diwali kitties.
How does the Hawa card work?
Each team gets one card. When played, a lady from that team blows against another team's boat from the finish side for 5 seconds, pushing it back.
Is Ghat Ka Diya safe to play indoors?
Yes, if you use only battery LED tealights, keep the water about 2 inches deep and put a sheet or towels under each parat so the floor does not get slippery.
After the game, play Housie
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