South Asia is the origin of Gilli Danda. The game dates back to the Maurya Empire and was originally played roughly 2500 years ago. It is extensively played in various Asian rural areas. It is also popular in some European nations, such as Turkey. It’s a popular kid sport that resembles popular western sports like cricket and baseball.
Two wooden sticks, a Gilli and a Danda, are required. Gilli – A tiny wooden stick with narrower endpoints (about 3 inches in length), Danda – A large wooden stick with narrower endpoints (approximately 3 inches in length) (about 2 feet long)
Variations across the globe
In different places, Gilli Danda has varied variations. It’s even known by different names in different nations. The following are some well-known names:
- Tipcat in English
- Dandi Biyo in Nepali
- Alak Doulak in Persian
Contents
Gilli Danda is played with two wooden sticks. The one stick is called “Gilli,” and it is a little stick that measures roughly 3 inches in length. The other stick is a huge one named “Danda,” which measures around 2 feet in length.
To put it another way, the Danda is a bat that should be thinner at the end. These sticks are simple to create at home. You can go to the carpenter if you want some great-looking wood.
Setup
A circle with a diameter of roughly 4 metres is formed in the centre of the ground. Then, in the centre of it, an oval-shaped hole is drilled. Gilli is positioned across the gap. If you haven’t excavated the hole yet, it can alternatively be placed between two stones.
How to play Gilli Danda
To play Gilli Danda, a minimum of two players are required. The players are split into two teams, each with an equal number of members. The team that wins the coin toss selects whether to bat first or field first after winning the toss. The battering team is known as the hitting team, while the opposing team is known as the opponent team.
As previously said, this game requires two sticks to play. Gilli refers to the short one, whereas Danda refers to the longer one.
A striker (batsman) lobs Gilli into the air with the Danda, and while it’s in the air, the striker strikes it again with the Danda. The striker’s goal is to hit the Gilli as hard as possible to a maximum distance from the hitting point.
If an opponent’s fielder catches the Gilli while it is in the air, the striker is out. If the Gilli lands safely on the ground, the Danda is used to determine the distance between the Gilli and the striking area (or striking circle). Danda is regarded to be the same length as one run. As a result, the striker scores the same number of runs as the number of times the Danda is used to reach the distance.
If the hitting player (striker) fails to hit the Gilli, he or she will be given two additional attempts to hit it and have it travel an acceptable distance. If the striker fails to hit the Gilli in three consecutive attempts, he or she is replaced by the next striker from the same team (if any).
When the first team’s strikers have all left, the second (opposing) team enters as strikers to try to match the first team’s score.
Game Rules
The following are the fundamental rules to remember when playing Gilli Danda:
- Two teams of equal members can play Gilli Danda (could be one on one play as well).
- During the game, two teams of equal members compete. The team that wins the toss gets to choose whether to bat first or field first.
- If the batter misses the Gilli three times in a row, or if the Gilli is captured by a fielder while in the air, the batter is deemed out.
Winning
The team with the most runs wins. As a result, each team member strives to hit the Gilli as far as possible in order to score more runs in the innings.
