Carrom in India is a popular indoor club and house game for a long time that lies somewhere between table shuffleboard and billiards. The game of carrom is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent. Although no concrete evidence is available, it is believed that the Indian Maharajas invented the carrom. One Carrom Board with its surface made of glass is still available in one of the palaces in Patiala, Punjab.

Naming of Carrom in India
This indoor game is known by many names around the world like carrum, couronne, carum, karam, karom, karum, fatta (Punjabi) and finger billiards.

Origination of Carrom
Carrom in India is said to have originated in Sri Lanka or India, but may also have developed independently in more than one part of the world. The official rules of the game were not made public until 1988.

Forms of Carrom
Carrom is various forms are played in numerous countries across the world, both for fun and as a competitive game. This game requires simple equipments helping in larger player base. There also exist variants of carrom that employ cue sticks.

History of Carrom
Origin of carrom has not been traced properly. Many believe that this game is of Indian or Sri Lankan origin, but the variation of the game played with a cue stick like billiards may have developed independently. Similarities like these are evident in games like table shuffleboard. This game has actually led to the growth of many other games or spin offs. In the year 1988, the International Carrom Federation (ICF) came into being in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. And in that very year the formal rules for the game was also made public.

Gaining Popularity of Carrom
Carrom game is very popular in India, and also in other nations like; Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan. Apart from these counties, Carrom is played in other parts of the world as well.

Equipments Used in Carrom
In India the game is mainly played on a board which is made of lacquered plywood. For a standardized carrom board in Indian game, the dimension is mainly 29 inch (74 cm) square of playing surface. The edges are mainly bounded by bumpers of woods, and the bottom of the wood is covered by net which is 10 cm square or larger. This game does not use balls, but disks. The main purpose of the play is to use a striker disk to move light objects called carrom men, with a flick of the finger, which are thus propelled into one of four corner pockets.

Role of All India Carrom Federation
In India, carrom game is promoted and patronized by All India Carrom Federation (AICF). This association was formed on 4th March in the year 1956 with, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Saurashtra, Hyderabad and Madhya Pradesh as its affiliated units. The sports council of Government of India recognized AICF in the year 1970, and since then the federation is getting regular grants and aids from the Indian government.

International Carrom Federation
International Carrom Federation (ICF) is the international governing body for the game of carrom. International Carrom Federation (ICF) was first proposed in the 1950s. The delegates from India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Germany and Switzerland met in Madras, where formed International Carrom Federation.