Gilli-danda facts for kids

Gilli "िगल्ली" -danda "डन्डा" is a game played by children in India and Pakistan. It is usually played by using a small round stick, about as long as a baseball or cricket bat. This is the danda. There is another smaller stick, round in the middle and tapering towards the ends. This is the gilli. The game gilli-danda is similar to cricket. It is also believed to be origin of cricket.

To play the game, one team uses the "danda" to hit one of the tapered ends of the "gilli" with force. This causes the "gilli" to flip through the air. While the "gilli" is airborne, the opposing team's hitter attempts to smack it like one would as if playing cricket. The one who hits the "gilli" the farthest will wins. It is played with two teams. One side pitches the "gilli" using the big "danda" (not the bare hands), to the other team's hitter. The hitter, using his "danda" then hits the "gilli". In the course of the play, if the "gilli" is caught, then those players who pitched with the big "danda" to the hitter, are out of the game. It was most popularly played around 1970 to 1980 throughout India and Pakistan and is played to this day.

Images for kids

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  Two boys playing gillidanda on the ghats of the Ganga river in Varanasi, India.

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