Gilli Danda, an amateur sport of rural India, Gilli-Danda is an exciting sport popular in India's regional and rural communities.

Gilli Danda, an amateur sport of rural India, How it started and how it is going

Gilli Danda, an amateur sport of rural India: Gilli-Danda is an exciting sport popular in India’s regional and rural communities. Gilli Danda’s origins in India may be traced all the way back to the Mauryan Empire. According to historical evidence, regular people competed on the streets, occasionally joined by monarchs. Social censure caused higher social circles to quit it over time, leaving it an ordinary man’s game.

History of Gilli Danda:

India was a big country that included a large chunk of South Asia. However, when physical boundaries were determined, India was partitioned and new countries were formed. People, though, never lost their love for GilliDanda. The sport prolonged from the land of India to its nearby countries, known by different names such as Danguli in the land of Bangladesh, also Dandi-Biyo in the land of Nepal, Lappa-Duggi in the land of Afghanistan, and Kitti-Pullu in the island nation Sri Lanka. However, various names meant varied regional rules. Players followed their own set of rules, therefore there was no standard expansion of the game. It remained an exhibition match that was solely played for pleasure and fun.

Gilli Danda, an amateur sport of rural India, Gilli-Danda is an exciting sport popular in India's regional and rural communities.
Gilli Danda, an amateur sport of rural India, Gilli-Danda is an exciting sport popular in India’s regional and rural communities.

The nations that play the game of  GilliDanda gathered under the auspices of the GilliDanda Intl Union in 2016, with its headquarters situated in Noida, in Uttar Pradesh. The Association is aiming to revitalize this age-old ancient Indian sport by writing a handbook of rules and regulations and commercially advertising it.

To play GilliDanda you need:

This game requires two solid wood sticks. Gilli is a diminutive wooden piece tapered across both ends. Danda – a two-foot-long stick with a one-inch thickness, similar to a circular ruler. Request assistance from your parents in obtaining this. You may get one made at any carpenter’s store.

A four-foot-diameter circle is drawn. A little ovate hole is excavated in the middle, which should be shorter than the Gilli.

How to play:

Two groups are created. One of the bats, while the other fields.

Fielders arrange themselves so that they may capture the Gilli. That the very first player inserts the Gilli into the hole, swiftly lifts it high off the ground with the help of the danda, and afterward hits it. If he misses the first time, he gets another chance. The batter is out if the defender grabs the Gilli even before hits the floor. If indeed the Gilli or the wooden ball is not captured, the danda is used to take measurements from the opening towards where the Gilli drops. Each danda is worth one point.

The fielder takes up a position where even the Gilli had landed and throws it to the batter. Whilst Gilli is still floating in the air, the batsman attempts to hit it. If it drops, he hits the curved end, raises it in the wind, and knocks while it is still in the wind. He has three opportunities to strike the Gilli. He’s declared out if he doesn’t hit it or gets caught.

The game will continue until all of the batters are out. The squad switches sides and proceeds in the same manner. The team with the highest score wins.

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