Game of Heaven and Hell (Jnana Bagi)

This amazing image is from a proto-version of Snakes and Ladders which was shown to us as this week’s Crossover Labs (from Wellcome Images, ref L0035004):

Game of Heaven and Hell (Jnana Bagi). This old Indian game, known to us as ‘Snakes and Ladders’, was originally a vehicle for teaching ethics. Each square has not only a number but a legend which comprises the names of various virtues and vices. The longest ladder reaches from square 17 ‘Compassionate Love’ to 69 ‘The World of the Absolute’. Late 18th Century.

Heaven and Hell (Jnana Bagi)