India, Aug. 15 -- Mahjong is Mandarin for "sparrows", because that's what the clattering tiles were thought to sound like, when the game was invented in Qing dynasty China, most likely in a port city, about 200 years ago.

Chances are you didn't know this, and probably wouldn't have cared, a couple of months ago. But something's changed, hasn't it?

Mahjong (pronounced exactly like it's spelt) is suddenly everywhere.

In Mumbai, women meet over dim sum and tea to swap strategies, at venues that range from friends' homes to cafes and fine-dine restaurants such as Yauatcha. In Delhi, exclusive gatherings operate like secret societies, united by revered tile and snack traditions. Young people are playing at nightclubs such as Jianghu in Los ...