Gilli Danda – An Ancient Indian Game

Gilli Danda also called Gulli-Danda), is a sport originating from the India, played in the rural areas and small towns.

What it needs to play:

It is a game played using two sticks, one long and the other short. It is played by hitting the shorter stick with the longer one.

In this game there are rules but no fixed one as it is played by children who like to add and subtract some rules as per their likes and dislikes.

If we are to follow the rules of this game then we can follow these ways of how to play.

Playing the Game:

Gilli danda is played with two wooden sticks, one long and one short. The short one, known as the Gilli, is about 6 inches and sharped at both ends more like a child’s pencil sharped end. The ends may not be very sharp but give an edge for the ends to not touch the ground. The longer one is about one and a half feet or about 18 inches long. This danda is used to hit the gilli.

There are no restrictions on the number of players. Some children play it singly without any group. They get the winner by counting the number of points. So variations are made as this is not an international or national game but an ancient game, more so on the forgotten side.

Two teams play this game. One team occupies the field to get a catch, and, the other team members waiting for their chance to hit the gilli.

To play this game has to dig in a small hole. On that let the gilli sit with the two sides resting on the ground. That small hole will give space to the danda to dig in and fling out the gilli. If the gilli is caught by the fielding side then the hitting team is out. The fielding team gets a chance to hit.

Once the gilli is hit and falls on the ground, the hitter gets a chance to hit the gilli from its side to rise up and then fling the gilli a long way with the hit of the danda. Once caught the game is over.

Getting points is simple.  It is a child’s game and children love to play the winner and loser game with the help of points. Distance is counted as points. To count the points, the danda is used. From where the last giili has fallen the counting starts up to the starting point. The danda is the measuring stick. The stick count is the final point.

The team that gets the most points is declared the winner.

Little boys and girls play this game together.

Lack of open space does not give a chance for children to play this game. Who knows the game of cricket must have been influenced by this game.

Ancient Indian games are losing out. But there is always space to remember it and also find ways that children get a chance to play this game which may one day be said, “Once upon a time in India children used to play the game of Gilli Danda”.Q

© Gouri Guha 2021