Gillidanda

Last updated

Two boys playing gillidanda on the ghats of the Ganga river in Varanasi, India Guli danda on Ganges Ghats in Varanasi.jpg
Two boys playing gillidanda on the ghats of the Ganga river in Varanasi, India

Gilli Danda is an ancient sport originating from South Asia, which is still widely played throughout South Asia. The sport is also found as far north as the Mediterranean and as far east as South East Asia. It was a precusor to cricket in India.

Contents

The game is played with two sticks: a large one called a danda, which is used to hit a smaller one, the gilli. [1] It bears many similarities to bat and ball games such as cricket and baseball.

Gullidanda is an ancient sport, possibly with origins over 2500 years ago. [2] [3]

Etymology

Gillidanda is known by various other names: it is called Tipcat in English, Iti-Dakar (اٽي ڏڪر) in Sindhi, guli-badi (ଗୁଲି ବାଡ଼ି) in Odia (regional variations dabalapua ଡାବଲପୁଆ and ପିଲବାଡ଼ି pilabadi in Phulbani and guti-dabula ଗୁଟିଡାବୁଳ in Balasore), gulli-ṭāṇ (𑂏𑂳𑂪𑂹𑂪𑂲 𑂗𑂰𑂝) in Bhojpuri, alak-doulak (الک دولک) in Persian, dānggűli (ডাঙ্গুলি) in Bengali, Tang Guti (টাং গুটি) in Assamese, chinni-kolu ಚಿನ್ನಿ ಕೋಲು in Kannada, kuttiyum kolum in Malayalam, vitti-dandu विट्टी दांडू in Marathi, Koyando-bal(कोयंडो बाल) in Konkani, kitti-pul (கிட்டி-புல்) in Tamil, Gooti-Billa (Andhra Pradesh) or Karra-Billa (Andhra Pradesh) or Billam-Godu (Andhra Pradesh) or chirra-gonay (in Telangana) in Telugu, Gulli-Danda (گُلی ڈنڈا/ਗੁੱਲ਼ੀ ਡੰਡਾ) in Punjabi, Geeti Danna (گیٹی ڈنا) in Saraiki, Ampra kaakay(am pra ka kay) in Pashto, Kon ko in Cambodian, Pathel Lele in Indonesian, syatong in Tagalog, awe petew in Ilonggo, çelikçomak in Turkish, ciang sat in Zomi language, "Đánh Trỏng" or "Đánh Khăng" in Vietnam, Quimbumbia in Cuba and Lippa in Italy. [4]

History

The sport of gillidanda is derived from ghaṭikā, literally "tip-cat". Ghaṭikā is still known to countries from the Indian subcontinent and south Asian countries like Bangladesh and India. In Bangladesh, it is known as ḍāṅguli khelā; while in Nepali, it is known as Dandi-Biyo (डण्डी बियो), which is a similar game. The longer stick in ḍāṅguli khelā should be about 1+12 ft (0.46 m) and the shorter stick about 6 in (150 mm). There are certain rules for preparing the sticks and playing the game with them. [5] Gillidanda traces its roots back to ancient India. The game has been played for centuries and holds cultural significance. It was not only a source of recreation but also a way to develop physical agility and coordination among players. [6]

Rules

A gilli Belit.jpg
A gilli

"Gillidanda" is played with two pieces of equipment – a danda, being a long wooden stick, and a gilli, a small oval-shaped piece of wood. It is played with four or more players of even numbers.

The boy on left is about to strike the gilli with the danda, while the one on right is fielding. Gilli-danda.jpg
The boy on left is about to strike the gilli with the danda, while the one on right is fielding.

Standing in a small circle, the player balances the gilli on a stone in an inclined manner (somewhat like a see-saw) with one end of the gilli touching the ground while the other end is in the air. The player then uses the danda to hit the gilli at the raised end, which flips it into the air. While it is in the air, the player strikes the gilli, hitting it as far as possible. Having struck the gilli, the player is required to run and touch a pre-agreed point outside the circle before the gilli is retrieved by an opponent. There are no specific dimensions of gillidanda and it does not have a limited number of players.

The gilli becomes airborne after it is struck. If a fielder from the opposing team catches the gilli, the striker is out. If the gilli lands on the ground, the fielder closest to the gilli has one chance to hit the danda (which has to be placed on top of the circle used) with a throw (similar to a run out in cricket). If the fielder is successful, the striker is out; if not, the striker scores one point and gets another opportunity to strike. The team (or individual) with the most points wins the game. If the striker fails to hit the gilli in three tries, the striker is out (similar to a strikeout in baseball). After the gilli has been struck, the opposing players need to return to the circle or, in the best case, catch it in mid-air without it hitting the ground – this was believed to have later evolved into a Catch Out in cricket and baseball.

Variations

As an amateur youth sport, gilli danda has many regional variations. In some versions, the number of points a striker score depends on the distance the gilli falls from the striking point. The distance is measured in terms of the length of the danda, or in some cases the length of the gilli. Scoring also depends on how many times the gilli was hit in the air in one strike. If it travels a certain distance with two mid-air strikes, the total points are doubled. If the gilli is not struck far enough the player has to pick it up and try again.

Shobhit Maurya is a world champion of gilli danda at present with several world records in his name. The UNESCO Advisory committee and the International Council of Traditional Sports and Games (ICTSG) are keen to revive and promote all such traditional sports which are almost dying in the World.

One variation, striker hits the gilli and when the gilli flies and lands at a distance, short or far, the striker then tells the bowler how much the distance is between where he is standing and where the gillis has fallen, i.e. how many lengths of danda. It is a guess of course, but mostly correct. The bowler or thrower either accepts the score or can measure the length himself. If a wrong score is found by measuring, striker is out.

Similar games

A game of billarda in Galicia, Spain Xogo da billarda - 04 (cropped further).jpg
A game of billarda in Galicia, Spain

The 2014 sport-drama Marathi movie Vitti Dandu was made on the same sport.

The Bollywood movie Lagaan mentions the traditional youth sport of gilli-danda as being similar to cricket.

In 2021, the Nepali movie Damaru ko Dandi Biyo starring Khagendra Lamichhane portrays an underdog team winning the gilli-danda league in the hills of Nepal.

The Hindi writer Premchand wrote a short story named "Gilli-danda" in which he compares old simple times and emotions to modern values and also hints at caste inequalities in India. The protagonist and narrator of the story recounts his inability to play gilli-danda well in his youth. He remembers a friend who could control the gilli as he wished. He goes away and comes back as an adult and a government officer. He searches for his old friend and finds him – he is very poor and says, "Where do we get the time?" when asked by the protagonist whether he plays gilli-danda. The protagonist convinces him to play – he cheats at every opportunity, but his friend meekly submits, even though he would not have let him get away with such deceit in his youth. After being defeated, the friend invites him to a gilli-danda match the next day. The protagonist is shocked when he sees his friend play just as well as before and realises that he had indulged him because he knew that he had forgotten the basics of gilli-danda. The protagonist feels very small and goes back to the city humiliated. [12]

The 1934 Laurel & Hardy film Babes in Toyland features Laurel playing the US version of the game, which he refers to as "Pee Wee."

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicket-keeper</span> Fielding position in cricket

The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being watchful of the batsman and ready to take a catch, stump the batsman out and run out a batsman when occasion arises. The wicket-keeper is the only member of the fielding side permitted to wear gloves and external leg guards. The role of the keeper is governed by Law 27 and of the Laws of Cricket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of cricket terms</span> Cricketing terminology

This is a general glossary of the terminology used in the sport of cricket. Where words in a sentence are also defined elsewhere in this article, they appear in italics. Certain aspects of cricket terminology are explained in more detail in cricket statistics and the naming of fielding positions is explained at fielding (cricket).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French cricket</span> Informal game

French cricket is a form of cricket that creates a game similar to catch. The game can be played socially at picnics and parties or on parks and beaches. It is a form of cricket that can include children of varied ages.

Short form cricket is a collective term for several modified forms of the sport of cricket, with playing times significantly shorter than more traditional forms of the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tip-cat</span> Childrens stick game

Tip-cat is a pastime which consists of tapping a short billet of wood, usually no more than 3 to 6 inches, with a larger stick similar to a baseball bat or broom handle. The shorter piece is tapered or sharpened on both ends so that it can be "tipped up" into the air when struck by the larger, at which point the player attempts to swing or hit it a distance with the larger stick while it is still in the air.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bat-and-ball games</span> Field games played by two opposing teams

Bat-and-ball games are field games played by two opposing teams. Action starts when the defending team throws a ball at a dedicated player of the attacking team, who tries to hit it with a bat and run between various safe areas in the field to score runs (points). The defending team can use the ball in various ways against the attacking team's players to force them off the field when they are not in safe zones, and thus prevent them from further scoring. The best known modern bat-and-ball games are cricket and baseball, with common roots in the 18th-century games played in England.

Qila Raipur Sports Festival, popularly known as the Rural Olympics, is held annually in Qila Raipur, in Punjab, India. Competitions are held for major Punjabi rural sports, include cart-race, athletic events and rope pulling.

Old cat games were bat-and-ball, safe haven games played in North America. The games were numbered according to the number of bases. The number of bases varied according to the number of players. Only one old cat continues to be commonly played in the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dandi biyo</span> Nepali stick game

Dandi biyo is a game played in Nepal which was considered the de facto national game until 23 May 2017, when volleyball was declared as the national sport. Dandi biyo is played with a stick (dandi) about 2 feet (61 cm) long and a wooden pin (biyo) about 6 inches (15 cm) long. The pin is a small wooden stick with pointed ends. The game is similar to the Indian game gilli danda. The government has not implemented any policies for the preservation of dandi biyo, and with decreasing players the game is expected to be extinct soon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven stones</span> South Asian dodgeball variant

Seven stones is a traditional game from the Indian subcontinent involving a ball and a pile of flat stones, generally played between two teams in a large outdoor area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuttiyum kolum</span> Indian stick game

Kuttiyum kolum is a traditional game played in Kerala, India. It is similar to an ancient game found all over the Indian Subcontinent with different names, such as Gilli-danda in North India. A similar game by the name of Lippa has been played in Italy. Kuttiyum kolum possibly originated over 2500 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cricket</span> Bat-and-ball game

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game that is played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. Two players from the batting team stand in front of either wicket, with one player from the fielding team bowling the ball towards the striker's wicket from the opposite end of the pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each exchange. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches or crosses the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally.

Many sports are played by the people of Tamil Nadu including both traditional sports and sports from other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punjabi sports (India)</span>

Punjabis play a wide variety of sports and games, ranging from modern games such as hockey and cricket, to the more traditional games such as Kabaddi, Kushtian (wrestling) and Khuddo khoondi. There are over 100 traditional games and sports of Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengali traditional games</span>

Bengali traditional games are traditional games that are played in rural parts of the historical region of Bengal. These games are typically played outside with limited resources. Many games have similarities to other traditional South Asian games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional games of India</span> Pre-colonial sports heritage of India

India has several traditional games and sports, some of which have been played for thousands of years. Their popularity has greatly declined in the modern era, with Western sports having overtaken them during the British Raj, and the Indian government now making some efforts to revive them. Many of these games do not require much equipment or playing space. Some of them are only played in certain regions of India, or may be known by different names and played under different rules and regulations in different regions of the country. Many Indian games are also similar to other traditional South Asian games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional games of Pakistan</span>

Pakistan has many traditional games played in the rural and urban areas of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional games of South Asia</span>

South Asia has many traditional games and sports. Two of them, kabaddi and kho-kho, are played at the South Asian Games, with kabaddi also featuring at the Asian Games. Many of these games are played across the entire subcontinent under different names and with some rule variations, while some of these games may be played only in certain countries or regions.

Nepal has many traditional games that are similar to other traditional South Asian games. Many of these games were played during local cultural festivals, but are now disappearing because of technological influence and globalisation.

References

  1. "Gilli Danda". India Mapped. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014.
  2. Steve Craig (2002), Sports and Games of the Ancients: (Sports and Games Through History), ISBN   978-0-313-31600-5, pages 63–65
  3. Arlott, John, ed. (1975). The Oxford companion to sports & games. Oxford University Press. p. 414. ISBN   0-19-211538-3. Gilli danda is an ancient game. It was played, more or less in its present form, about 5,000 years ago.
  4. "Gilli Danda or Guli Dunda (India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan)". Traditional Sports. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  5. Seven Games of India in the 6th Century B.C. as Depicted in the MahātaṆhᾹsaṄkhayasutta of the Majjhimanikāya
  6. Bashir, Noman (6 October 2023). "How to Play Gilli Danda: A Comprehensive Guide". Biz Brilliance. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  7. "Bud Spencer, Terence Hill e a Billarda". YouTube . Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  8. "Y si no, nos enfadamos ( 2/10 ) – Juntos son dinamita". YouTube . Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  9. "palio mazza e pivezo cesa (CE)". YouTube . Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  10. Frederic Gomes Cassidy, Joan Houston Hall (2002). Dictionary of American Regional English. Belknap, Harvard University Press. ISBN   978-0-674-00884-7 . Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  11. Machuca, Paulina (8 August 2021). "La herencia asiática en México: nuestra cuarta raíz". El universal (in Spanish). En Colima, de niña jugué al charangay — o changais — con unos palitos de madera que se debían suspender en el aire para luego lanzarlos lo más lejos posible; es un tipo de juego que se conoce no únicamente en Filipinas sino también en otras naciones asiáticas.
  12. Prakash Chandra Gupta (1968). Prem Chand. Makers of Indian Literature. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 9–. ISBN   978-81-260-0428-7.