Jhandi Munda
Officially Jhandi Munda (Crown & Anchor)
SIMPLE 6-DICE GAMBLING GAME popular in INDIA + NEPAL — 6 dice with 6 SYMBOL FACES: LANGUR (monkey, standing for CROWN), FLAG (jhandi), SPADE (paan), CLUB (chidiya), HEART (paan), and DIAMOND (heera). Player bets on 1 of 6 symbols; dice tossed together; player receives 1:1 for each die matching bet (up to 6:1 if all 6 dice match). Related to British Royal Navy's CROWN AND ANCHOR (18th c.) — same mechanic, different symbols (crown, anchor, plus 4 card suits). Massive in Indian FESTIVALS (Diwali) + fairs.
Quick facts
Category
Casino & Gambling
Type
Individual
Players
1–20
Duration
~2 min
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇮🇳 India
Estimated origin
British Royal Navy's Crown + Anchor game documented 1700s (played on ship voyages); brought to India by British + adopted with Indian symbols; documented as Jhandi Munda in India by early 20th c.; still played in Indian Diwali fairs + Nepalese festivals; illegal per Public Gaming Act 1867 but tolerated in cultural festivals.
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Bet on 1 SYMBOL — win if bet symbol appears on ONE OR MORE DICE after the roll.
Rules
Basic rules
PLAYER places bet on ONE of the 6 SYMBOLS on the layout
Signature 1-symbol bet.
BANKER rolls all 6 DICE at once
Signature 6-dice simultaneous roll.
PAYOUT: 1 DIE with bet symbol = 1:1; 2 DICE = 2:1; 3 DICE = 3:1; 4 DICE = 4:1; 5 DICE = 5:1; ALL 6 DICE = 6:1 (or 10:1+ in some venues for jackpot)
Signature n:1 for n-of-6 payout.
IF SYMBOL doesn't appear on any die = LOSE bet
Standard lose rule.
PLAYERS CAN bet MULTIPLE symbols simultaneously — each judged independently
Signature multi-symbol bets.
HOUSE EDGE ~7.87% (standard 6:1 top payout) — same as Chuck-a-Luck
Signature 7.87% edge.
SYMBOL VARIANTS: British Navy: CROWN, ANCHOR, SPADE, CLUB, HEART, DIAMOND; Indian: LANGUR, FLAG (jhandi), SPADE, CLUB, HEART, DIAMOND
Signature cultural-symbol adaptation.
Scoring
1:1 for each die matching (up to 6:1 for all-6); house edge ~7.87%.
Win condition · At least 1 die shows player's bet symbol.
Equipment
6 SIX-SIDED DICE — each face marked with SYMBOL (LANGUR/monkey, FLAG, SPADE, CLUB, HEART, DIAMOND)
Signature 6 symbol dice.
BETTING CLOTH/MAT with 6 SYMBOL SQUARES for wagers
Signature 6-symbol layout.
SHAKING CUP for dice
Standard dice cup.
BANK STASH for handling wagers
Standard casino chips or cash.
Terminology
- Jhandi
- Hindi for 'flag' — one of the 6 symbols.
- Munda
- Hindi word here referring to the langur/monkey symbol.
- Langur Burja
- Alternate Hindi name for the same game.
- Crown + Anchor
- British Royal Navy equivalent game — same mechanic.
- Symbol dice
- 6-face dice with cultural symbols instead of pips.
Major competitions
Traditional Diwali festivals + regional fairs in India + Nepal; no formal tournaments
annual (Diwali) · India + Nepal + diaspora · since 1900
Where it is played
Governing bodies
No official governing body — traditional folk/military heritage game
Founded 1700 · British Royal Navy + India
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Traditional dealer-run carnival game; no famous players
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Crown and Anchor— Wikipedia
- Wikipedia — Jhandi Munda (regional refs)— Wikipedia