Meghalaya’s Shillong Teer – India’s Only
ARCHERY-BASED GOVERNMENT LOTTERY

Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya has a unique lottery you won’t find anywhere else in India. Popularly known as Shillong Teer, this is the country’s only archery-based lottery game (arrow gambling).

Bettors stake money on their choice of numbers and archers shoot arrows on their behalf. However, beyond the sport, this game is also about mysticism and the interpretation of dreams.

How does all this work? Let’s find out!

What Is Shillong Teer?

A local sport run by the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya, Shillong Teer is a traditional lottery played only in the Indian State of Meghalaya. ‘Teer' is the Hindi word for ‘arrow,’ signifying the core of the game – archery.

The traditional name for this amusing sport is ‘Thoh Tim.’ It saw its dawn in the early 20th century when residents of nearby villages and localities in Shillong gathered every week to play archery matches.

Soon, the matches turned into contests, contests into tournaments, and tournaments into fully-fledged betting systems. Teer earned a new audience in the State’s punters who saw massive earning potential in this game.

Shillong’s Teer is now a household name and popular more than ever. The Khasi Hills Archery Sports Association conducts the games in the city’s famous Polo Ground.

The State Government of Meghalaya even registered it as a legal lottery sport in 1982. Yet, gambling being a hushed affair in India, the activity has not been able to gain the recognition it truly deserves.

Nevertheless, it is beyond fascinating how a traditional game has withstood the test of time and managed to keep its patrons – local and international – hooked despite the world rapidly shifting towards all things digital.

How to Play Teer in Shillong?

Tickets to Teer in Shillong are sold every day except on Sundays and holidays between 10 AM to 3.30 PM. The lottery involves two kinds of participants – the archers who shoot the arrows and the bettors who bid the money.

Bettors need to place bets on a number ranging from 00 to 99 and are handed out paper bet slips. Archers arrive from remote villages in Meghalaya and earn around ₹300 rupees a day. They represent the 12 archery clubs of the city.

The entire game is played in two rounds – FR (First Round) and SR (Second Round). The first archery round begins somewhere between 3:30 PM and 4 PM and involves 30 to 50 archers representing various archery clubs squatted in a semicircle in a field with a wooden post in the middle. The second round begins at around 5:15 PM.

In each round, the archers fire 150 to 1000 cane arrows at a cylindrical target made of hay. This target is 61 cm to 102 cm tall and 66 cm to 127 cm wide. It is placed at a distance of not more than 30.48 m and not less than 15.21.

The rounds are wrapped up in 5 minutes by pulling up a tarp to prevent extra arrows from hitting the target. The arrows are counted in bunches of 10 by 5 Teer officials who discard the ones that didn’t hit the target and keep aside the ones that did.

The arrows are color-coded so it is easy to determine which archery club they belong to. After the rounds are over, the arrows are returned to the respective clubs.

Bettors need to predict the last two digits of the total number of arrows from both rounds that would hit the target. For instance, if 1000 arrows are shot and 789 of them hit the target, the winning number would be 89. The one who correctly guesses it wins the jackpot.

Of course, the process is far from simple. On the surface, the lottery might seem like it involves only archery and is not as random as it seems. It involves dreams, too. How? The lucky numbers you choose should depend on what you dreamt about the previous night!

The Shillong Teer lottery is largely about symbolism. Here are some of the dreams and the numbers they signify:

Some bettors bank on the same number(s) year after year. Others choose different numbers based on their varied dreams.

There are no hard and fast rules to how much money you want to wager. Bet values usually vary between ₹1 and ₹100, although records of bet values up to ₹5 lakhs on a single number aren’t rare. To each his own.

For higher bet values, the bookies who are supposed to pay out the rewards, share the risk among themselves. They collectively pay out as well as rake in the moolah.

The odds for predicting the winning number correctly are 80/1 for FR and 60/1 for SR. The ultimate round, which is known as ‘fourcast / forecast,’ involves players needing to correctly predict the number for both the first as well as the second round. The odds for this round are 4000/1.

In short, for every ₹1 you bet in Teer, the FR pays ₹80, the SR ₹60, and the fourcast ₹4,000. But, there’s more to the story than meets the eye. Read on to let the story unfold.

What Is Common Number?

The Shillong Teer Common Number is the trick that brings an interesting twist to the lottery. It is not related to dreams per se, which we discussed earlier in this article. Instead, this is a lucky number predicted by analyzing previous Teer results and using mathematical calculations.

Teer players believe the Common Number has a 99% chance of winning. Purveyors of luck don’t shy away from monetizing this belief. In fact, if you look for Teer common numbers on the web, you will find several websites claiming to predict it with 100% accuracy.

But remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Teer in Shillong is still a game of luck and will always remain that way.

Teer Formula for Common Number Explained

Keeping in mind that there are always two Common Numbers, let’s assume the following:

Previous day’s result for…

• First Round is WX
• Second Round is YZ.

The Teer formula for calculating the first of the Common Numbers would be W + Z (for the first digit) and Y – X (for the second digit). For the second Common Number, the formula would be Z – W and Z – X/W or Z + X/W.

For instance, if the previous day's result for FR is 23 and for SR 45, the first digit of the Common Number would be 2 + 5 = 7 and the second digit would be 4 – 3 = 1. So, the first Common Number would be 71.

Similarly, for the second Common Number, the calculations would be 5 – 2 = 3 and 5 – 3/2  = 3.5 or 5 + 3/5 = 5.6. Thus, the second Common Number would be 3 + 3.5 = 6.5 (assumed as 65) or 3 + 5.6 = 8.6 (assumed as 86).

Please note that if the result of the above summations is a two-digit number, the last digit is considered.

What Is House Number?

The Shillong Teer House Number is the first digit of the first Common Number. For instance, in the above example, the first Common Number is 71. So, the House Number would be 7.

What Is Ending Number?

The Ending Number in Teer is the last digit of the second Common Number. In the above example, the second Common Number is either 65 or 86. So, the Ending Number would be 5 or 6.

What Is Dream Number?

The Shillong Teer Dream Number is the number you bet on as per your previous night’s dream. In Teer, every dream has a meaning and offers a hint about the winning number. Although this is entirely superstitious, it is what moves the needle in this lottery.

What Is Target Number?

Shillong Teer Target Number is the same as Common Number. It is also known as Hit Number.

Is Teer a Government Lottery in India?

Yes, Teer is a legit government lottery in India. However, unlike other paper-based State lotteries, it is based on archery and dreams. No pre-printed paper ticket is sold or lottery machine used to draw the winning numbers.

Teer also defies most of the general rules set for Indian State lotteries, including the one for the minimum jackpot amount. While all other lotteries in India must pay out at least ₹10K for the jackpot, there is no lower or upper limit in Teer.

Another difference lies in the minimum bet values. While the cost of a ticket to govt lotteries cannot be lower than ₹2, entries to Teer start at ₹1!

How to Spot a Legit Teer Counter?

There are more than 5,000 Teer counters dotting the State of Meghalaya. You would find men, women, and even children running them on the roadside, in small tea stalls, kiosks, and hidden alleys.

To spot a legit counter, look for a license. Every Shillong Teer counter must carry a valid license issued by the State taxation department. The same has to be renewed annually. Do not buy from sellers who do not have a license or whose licenses have expired.

How to Check Shillong Teer Result?

Shillong Teer result for the first round is declared between 3:45 and 4:45 PM. The result for the second round is declared between 5:30 PM and 5:45 PM. Both the results are combined to declare the final result on the same day.

In general, the news of the results spread throughout the State moments after they are declared. To check Teer results, you can visit Polo Ground in person on the day the game is held. Alternatively, there are several websites, leading dailies, and even social media handles that publish the latest as well as historic results daily.

Can You Play Teer in Juwai?

Although organized in Meghalaya, the Juwai Teer (Jowai Teer) is not a legal lottery game. Even if you could play it, you would be indulging in outlawed activities in reality.

Can You Play Teer in Khanapara?

The Khanapara Teer is not a legal lottery game. It is held in Khanapara, which lies in the Assam-Meghalaya border. Although you could partake in it, in reality, you would be violating the law.

Can You Play Teer Online in Meghalaya?

The only way to play Teer online in Meghalaya is perhaps by getting in touch with a bookie who also manages a website, mobile app, or WhatsApp account that sells the slots.

You would have to make an online transaction to pay for your entry. The bookie would then play on your behalf and let you know if you won or lost. Currently, there is no government website that sells tickets to Shillong Teer online.

How to Watch Live Shooting?

A fool-proof way to watch live shooting in Shillong Teer is by being present at the venue during the game. No streaming services currently broadcast the game on TV.

However, people managing YouTube and other social media channels are free to use live streaming to show others how the rounds unfold. If you have contacts with such people, you could watch Teer live – as and when it happens.

Could Playing the Teer Be Addictive?

As is with any gambling activity, overindulging in Teer could lead to addiction. This is why while playing Teer, never…

• Bet more than what you can afford to lose.
• Chase loses.
• Approach the game without a bet limit.
• Take it as a source of income.
• Take it as anything other than entertainment.

Law for Conducting Teer in Meghalaya

Until the early 1980s, Teer in Meghalaya was outlawed by the State government. However, after the Meghalaya Amusement and Betting Tax Act 1982 was passed, Shillong Teer was legalized and several organizations were authorized to conduct the game.

Teer Terms to Remember

Teer Association

Teer Associations are organizations responsible for conducting and organizing Teer games in the State.

Teer Club

A Teer Club is a group of archers who shoot the arrows for the bidders. Meghalaya has 12 Teer Clubs in total. A club chart is prepared and published periodically for each Teer Club. This chart details the number of teers (arrows) given to each member archer.

Bookies

Bookies in Teer are the authorized ticket sellers. They are annually licensed by the State Government of Meghalaya.

Counting

The collection of all arrows from the venue after the completion of the two rounds and the subsequent segregation of only those that hit the target is known as counting.

History of Teer in Meghalaya

Teer or archery in Meghalaya has roots deeper than anyone can imagine. This activity has been widely discussed in classic Khasi folklore, where archery has been considered a gift from the gods to the people of the region.

Legend has it that the reigning local goddess Ka Shinam received a set of divine bow and arrows as a gift and passed them on to her sons U Shynna and U Batiton. The duo used them as toys in their childhood and eventually honed their skills to become master marksmen.

Ever since, the gift has lived on in the Khasi youth. Even today, when a boy is born in the community, he receives a bow and three arrows during his naming ceremony – ka jer ka thoh. The weapons signify his role as a warrior and protector of the Khasi tribe.

Of the three arrows, the first one indicates his claim to the land, the second one his clan, and the third one his being. When a Khasi male dies, the bow is placed by his body while the arrows are shot into the sky before cremation. The shooting of the arrows represents the journey of the soul to the heavens.

Archery in Meghalaya also found its significance during the rise of the British Empire when resistance was shown against the invaders by the tribal chieftains. The story of Tirot Sing, also known as U Tirot Sing Syiem, is worth mentioning here.

As history has it, in April 1829, this warrior ruler led an army of archers to protect the territories in north-east India against British invasion. He not only fought valiantly but also defeated the enemy with just bows and arrows.

When the British eventually ruled over the region, Tirot Sing was captured on the pretext of post-conflict settlement. However, the tale of this legendary Khasi freedom fighter continues to inspire the people of the land to this day.

Of course, over time, the use of bows and arrows has significantly declined. Archery is now a sport and a betting activity in Meghalaya. However, Teer has made sure that the age-old tradition and cultural heritage of archery in Meghalaya are kept alive.

Dream of betting or bet on your dreams – Shillong Teer satisfies you either way!

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