Pachisi
I think the wikipedia article on Pachisi might be a good place to start as you launch yourself on your Grand Pachisi Muckabout.
As you begin to explore mods of the basic game, you just might find that bit about how, way back then, they used Cowrie shells instead of dice. Kind of makes you wonder what else you could substitute, and maybe even why. And once you read about the Pachisi-like game called "Charkoni," well, you just won't be able to keep from wondering what it might feel to move 25 squares on a single throw of six shells!
When you think you're ready to explore real world parallels between Pachisi and every day life, you might also find yourself almost more than amused by the discovery that Pachisi is a Cross and Circle game, with direct connections to things like mandalas, the earth and heavens, the self and the universe.
Play on!