Gilli Danda

" Gilli Danda "

(one of the oldest games of all times) 

( also known as "Viti Dandu, Kitti-Pul" )


Gilli Danda (also spelled Gulli-Danda) also known as Viti Dandu, Kitti-Pul and by other variations, is a sport originating from the Indian subcontinent, played in the rural areas and small towns all over South Asia as well as Cambodia, Turkey, South Africa, Italy, Poland, and in some Caribbean islands like Cuba. The game is played with two sticks, a large one called a danda, which is used to hit a smaller one, the gilli. Other than using a smaller target stick, rather than a ball, it bears many similarities to bat and ball games such as cricket and baseball.

This Gilli danda game is exciting and is played by adults and youngsters alike. To play this game one should have lots of energy. This gives ample fun for the village boys. This game is played widely in both India and Pakistan. This amateur sport has grabbed the attention of many people living globally, especially, the people of Italy, Cambodia, Columbia, and Spain. This is played with two sticks. One is bigger in size and the other is smaller in size. The bigger one is called as Danda and the smaller stick is called as Gilli.

Gilli Danda is a game very similar to cricket and baseball, its popularity in India once rivalled that of cricket. The game is played with a small piece of wood tapered on both sides known as gilli and a larger piece of wood that is used to strike the gilli known as Danda. The object of the game is to get the gilli as far away from the home base as possible. The rules are amazingly similar to cricket and in some way it is a crude form of the more popular sport.

Origin and history of Gilli Danda:

This ancient game is said to have evolved in India some 2000-2500 years ago. However, some people and sports enthusiasts think that the sport evolved in Europe, particularly in England. The sport is similar to baseball which is the most popular sport of America. On the other hand, Gilli-Danda is similar to cricket and even softball. In Galicia, a particular game is played known as bilharda. It is very much identical to gilli-danda. In Philippines, gilli-danda takes the form of a popular sport called syatong. People in the United States call this exciting game as pee-wee. In Italy, teenagers play a similar game known as lippa. 

Rules of Gilli Danda:
  • A small circle about four feet in diameter is drawn on the ground with a small oval-shaped hole in the centre (the hole should be smaller than the gilli). The gilli is placed across the hole.
  • Two teams are formed and they bat by turns.
  • The batsman tries to hit the gilli with the danda twice, once to lift it off the ground and once to hit it as far as possible.
  • If he is successful, the fielding team tries to catch the gilli before it touches the ground. If they succeed, the batsman is out and the next player comes in to bat.
  • If the fielders can't catch the gilli, the distance between the central hole and the place where the gilli falls is measured with the danda. Each length of the danda counts for one run.
  • After the score is recorded, the danda is placed over the central hole. The fielder who was standing closest to the point where the gilli had fallen, tries to hit the danda with the gilli from where he was standing.
  • If the gilli hits the danda or falls in the circle, the batsman is out. If not the batsman gets another chance to hit the gilli. The game continues till all the players have had their turn at batting. The team with the most runs is declared the winner.
Dimension of the equipments used in Gilli Danda:

This game is played with two sticks. You need nothing more than this. The Gilli should be of 3 inches long while the danda should be about 2 feet long that is tapered at both the ends. You can hire a carpenter to get these sticks done in proper shape. This can be played in grounds and open spaces.

Scoring and outs in Gilli Danda:

The gilli tends to become airborne once it is hit by the player. If the player from other team catches the gilli properly, then the player who had hit the gilli is ruled out. Moreover, if the gilli falls on the ground, player closest to the gilli actually has one last chance to strike the danda with a throw. If the player is successful in doing this, then the striker is considered out. The striker tends to score one point if the opposite player fails to throw the gilli to run him out.


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