Teer, North Carolina

Teer - Lottery by Archery - Clip 2

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• published: 19 Dec 2010
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"Teer" - It is Lottery by Archery that Meghalaya is obsessed with. One of the most unique features of Shillong, something that the perspective onlooker will spot right away is the presence of betting shops on almost every street. It goes to mention that the ancient tradition and art of archery has been combined with the betting system in the state. The outcome is a gambling wager locally known as 'Teer', and aptly so for it derives its existence from Archery. Everyday, between 3:15 and 4:15 p.m. 3 Archery clubs come together to display their dexterity in hitting the bull's eye, which in this case is a pillar-like structure made of reeds. What happens is this: some 50-60 archers form an Arc and shoot at a haystack for 4 minutes. It is fascinating to watch almost all the arrows whizzing past and sink into the target with unfailing preciseness. The arrows are removed and then counted. The last two digits are announced as the winning number. Those who bet on that number go home richer. Bets are placed daily on what the numbers might be: your investment could be as little as one rupee, which could earn you eight if you're a good guesser; the second round of shooting yields a little less—six rupees to one. There is, of course, no upper limit and bets are often placed to the tune of thousands of rupees. Teer is an example of how Shillong has managed to keep tradition and ancient arts alive amidst changes brought on by modernity.