Traditions & Practices > Gilli Danda

Gilli Danda

Gilli Danda is a sport played with two wooden sticks called gilli and danda, usually by two individuals or two teams. The danda is longer (suitably handmade by the player) which one can swing easily. The gilli is smaller and is tapered on both sides. There is no standard length defined for the danda or gilli. However, the gilli is usually 3-6 inches long.

The game is called 'Dânggõli' in Bangla, 'Vhinni-dandu' in Kannada, 'Viti-dandu' in Marathi, 'Kitti-pullu' in Tamil, and 'Gootibilla' in Telugu. This sport is commonly played in the rural and small towns of India.

Gilli Danda is similar to cricket, with the gilli replacing the cricket bat. The objective of the sport is to use the danda (like a baseball bat) to strike the gilli (similar to striking a ball in cricket). If the gilli is caught, then the striker is out; if it is not caught, then the score is measured with the length of the danda and a count kept.

Source: www.indianetzone.com

Contributed by: Hiral Pandya, CEE Ahmedabad

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