Ria Bajaj sits in front of a square table that, at first glance, appears to display a slim sheet cake in the delicious shade of candyfloss. But it turns out that we are in the presence of something more sacred than dessert — the ‘cake’ is, in fact, a beautiful mahjong mat which, I am told later, differs at each table depending on the owner’s personal taste.
Bajaj is joined by her friends Ishira Kumar and Maneka Jain Daswani, who together make up the founding team of The Mahjong Network — a community of players spread across Indian cities and Dubai, connected through WhatsApp and social media. The network was formed earlier this year and its Dubai chapter is 367 members strong.
We meet in Mumbai, the bustling metropolis that is also India’s financial nerve centre, but Bajaj splits her time between the city and Dubai, where she resides in Downtown Dubai. It was also here that Bajaj first considered starting the network. While visiting Dubai in March, she craved a game of mahjong but found it difficult to gather the four players needed to play. “It took me five days to finally find someone via four degrees of connection, and I went to Emirates Hill at 8pm to play,” she says. “Social interactions today should not be dependent on who you know or where you are, and I felt like there could be a better way to do this.” So she called Kumar and Daswani, and their discussions led to the launch of the network.
“For us, it’s about creating a platform that’s an equaliser – where we could all interact as players and not based on who we are or which bag we carry,” adds Bajaj.
Back at the table, the women’s fingers fly across the game’s 144 acrylic tiles like those of concert pianists. The tiles, adorned with Chinese symbols and characters, clink softly as they are shuffled and the tiles are drawn and discarded so quickly that it all becomes a blur. The aim is to create winning combinations from 14 tiles called ‘pungs’, ‘chows’, ‘crochets’, ‘knits’, and ‘pairs’, the women explain as they play. “There are many versions of the game, and players in Dubai usually play Taiwanese mahjong or ATF mahjong… but the basics of the game are the same,” explains Bajaj.
Most people — this writer included — got their first glimpse of mahjong in the climactic scene of the 2018 Hollywood hit Crazy Rich Asians. And over the years, this Chinese strategy and skill-based game has been embraced by players all over the world including the UAE, where people often run out of ideas for a meet-up that does not involve shopping at the mall or eating out.
Friends, family, neighbours, club members at small, private gatherings and strangers at meet-ups play huddled over tables, trying to plan their moves and outmanoeuvre each other. As a sign of its growing popularity, there are even mahjong-themed private events and parties these days.
“It’s like a gym for your brain,” says Kumar, explaining the game’s allure. “It’s a nice way to tap out of your day, and you are committing to the three people on the board.” Daswani adds that it is a wonderful way to meet new people and network while playing a game that’s mentally stimulating. “We play for 2.5 hours, and it’s screen-free,” she says.
In our conversations, mahjong players likened their state of mind during the game to meditation. They also look at mahjong as a metaphor for life — after all, in both scenarios, you’re dealt a certain hand and learn to make the most of it by navigating through unexpected twists and changing strategies. And also, nothing is too precious to let go. “It’s therapeutic and teaches players how to let go and be patient,” says Daswani.
Mahjong mania in the UAE
On October 6 the Dubai chapter of the network, headed by Dubai resident Nina Lau, organised its first Diwali-themed mahjong meet-up at Ramee Dream Hotel in Business Bay, which was attended by about 64 women dressed in their finest Indian wear. The Dubai chapter has been growing steadily, says Lau, as “they meet up in different pockets of the city, at homes and gaming cafes, to play.”
Lau, who is of Chinese and Indian heritage, spent most of her life in Hong Kong where mahjong is quite popular. “I wanted to connect to my Chinese roots and was hence attracted to playing mahjong,” explains Lau, who has been helping players sharpen their skills for about two years. “Teaching mahjong, Taiwanese style, became a passion thereafter.”
It’s a bit like chess, she continues. “You have to be alert and think of your next move, and also predict your opponent’s next move.” She hopes to approach homes and centres for senior citizens and see whether they could be taught to play the game. “Your mental health improves as you leave all your issues behind and concentrate on the game while playing,” she says. “You are just coming for yourself and for that recreational time to engage with people in a fun-filled, friendly, and stress-free environment.”
Neha Bali, who has been teaching the game for three years, says that it has taken the world by storm especially in the last six months. She describes it as a “multi-purpose game” that is challenging at the right dose, just enough to keep it enjoyable. “I haven’t come across a single person that I have taught who hasn’t fallen in love with the game,” says Bali, who organises classes and tournaments for her students and hopes to get more teenagers and senior citizens interested in the game. “It’s a wonderful way to develop various skills, improve your memory and cognitive abilities, get a digital detox, and meet and interact with people.”
The game instils a strong sense of community in its players but it has also developed a reputation as an elite game primarily played by older, affluent women. Bali challenges this misconception, pointing out that her students include individuals as young as 25, with professionals such as lawyers, doctors, businesspeople and teachers attending her classes as a getaway from their stressful jobs and lives.
Bonding over mahjong
An American of Indian origin, Milli Raja Ahuja picked up the game in May. “A group of us four girls wanted to learn. We play once a week at our homes,” smiles Ahuja, who moved to Dubai about two years ago. The mahjong tiles that the quartet plays with don’t have any symbols and numbers on them, so they’ve had to memorise the Chinese characters. “It has helped us to stay alert and engaged,” she says. As a mother of two juggling multiple chores and schedules, she likes that the game compels her to take a pause and focus on the game entirely while playing.
Dubai resident Nadia Khan, who is an American, is part of a group of four expat women who have been playing mahjong for over two years. “The other ladies are Moroccan, Lebanese, and British,” she says. Khan and her family used to live in Singapore, where her mother learnt the game and played regularly twice or thrice a week. “She taught me before I moved to Dubai,” she says. Khan, too, describes the game as being mentally and socially engaging with a competitive edge, and thrilling elements like luck and chance — all of which have contributed to its popularity.
A mahjong party, anyone?
Chinese mahjong coach Rinkey Puri, a Canadian of Indian origin, conducts five-day workshops at both beginner and intermediate-to-advanced levels, with two-hour sessions each day. “I hold these either at my own place or at clients’ chosen venues — be it homes, clubs, or community spaces,” she says.
She also hosts ‘party mahjong experiences’, a “format that blends strategy with a social spark”. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many now seeing mahjong as the perfect centrepiece for festive or corporate gatherings,” she says. Puri has also been invited to host mahjong parties to celebrate festivals in the latter half of the year. “I see as a wonderful way to weave tradition, fun, and community together,” she adds.
Puri started teaching the game in Dubai about six months ago. “It is such a nice, social and constructive game where your brain is so active,” she says. “Also, you are so mindful of everybody’s time — at the table, you are not really indulging in frivolous talk.”
For players, the game offers a chance for ‘me-time’, a mental workout, or an opportunity to step outside and connect with others in a world that is hyperconnected and has shrinking opportunities to have in-person interactions. “I keep telling people that all our lives we have been only concentrating on our bodies, by going to the gym and all,” says Puri. “But the master organ is, most of the time, neglected.”
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