>CharredWaffle at 21:17, 28 June 2021

2021-06-28T21:17:29Z

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{{short description|Ameteur sport originating from the Indian subcontinent}}
{{more footnotes|date=December 2018}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
[[File:Guli danda on Ganges Ghats in Varanasi.jpg|thumb|Two boys playing gillidanda on the [[ghat]]s of the [[Ganga]] river in [[Varanasi, India]].]]
'''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]].[https://www.traditionalsports.org/traditional-sports/asia/gilli-danda-guli-dunda-indi-bangladesh-nepal-afghanistan-pakistan.html] The game is played with two sticks: a large one called a ''danda (Dandi in Nepali, Dandu/दांडू/ದಾಂಡು in Marathi, Kittipul/கிட்டிப்புள் in Tamil and Kannada, കോൽ in Malayalam)'', which is used to hit a smaller one, the ''gilli (Biyo in Nepali, Viti/विटी in Marathi, kittikol/ கிட்டிக்கோல் in Tamil and Chinni/ಚಿನ್ನಿ in Kannada, കുറ്റി in Malayalam)''.<ref>http://www.indiamapped.com/sports-in-india/gilli-danda/</ref> 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]].

Gullidanda is an ancient sport, possibly with origins over 2500 years ago.<ref>Steve Craig (2002), Sports and Games of the Ancients: (Sports and Games Through History), {{ISBN|978-0313316005}}, pages 63–65</ref><ref>John Arlott (1975), The Oxford Companion to World Sports and Games</ref>

==Names==
Gillidanda is derived from ghaṭikā [ghaṭ a+ka], literally "tip-cat". An explanatory definition is given in the commentary as ghaṭikā is "a game played using two sticks: one long and the other short. It is played by hitting the shorter stick with the longer one." Ghaṭikā is still known to countries from the Indian subcontinent and south Asian countries like Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. In Bangladesh, it is known as ḍāṅguli khelā; while in [[Nepali language|Nepali]], it is known as [[Dandi Biyo]], which is a similar game. The longer stick in a ḍāṅguli khelā, should be about {{convert|1+1/2|ft|abbr=on}} and the shorter stick about {{convert|6|in|abbr=on}}. There are certain rules for preparing the sticks and playing the game with them.<ref>[https://www.academia.edu/2062150/SEVEN_GAMES_OF_INDIA_IN_THE_6TH_CENTURY_B.C._AS_DEPICTED_IN_THE_MAH%C4%80TA%E1%B9%86H%E1%BE%B9SA%E1%B9%84KHAYASUTTA_OF_THE_MAJJHIMANIK%C4%80YA SEVEN GAMES OF INDIA IN THE 6TH CENTURY B.C. AS DEPICTED IN THE MAHĀTAṆHᾹSAṄKHAYASUTTA OF THE MAJJHIMANIKĀYA]</ref>

Gillidanda is known by various other names: it is called ''[[Tipcat]]'' in English, ''itti dakar'' in [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]], ''[[Dandi-Biyo]]'' (डण्डी बियो) in [[Nepali language|Nepali]], ''guli-badi'' (ଗୁଲି ବାଡ଼ି) in Odia (regional variations ''dabalapua'' ଡାବଲପୁଆ and ପିଲବାଡ଼ି ''pilabadi'' in [[Phulbani district|Phulbani]] and ''guti-dabula'' ଗୁଟିଡାବୁଳ in [[Balasore district|Balasore]]), gulli-ṭāṇ (𑂏𑂳𑂪𑂹𑂪𑂲 𑂗𑂰𑂝) in [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]], ''[[Alak Dolak|alak-doulak]]'' (الک دولک) in [[Persian language|Persian]], ''dānggűli'' (ডাঙ্গুলি) in [[Bengali language|Bengali]], Tang Guti (টাং গুটি) in [[Assamese language|Assamese]], ''chinni-kolu ಚಿನ್ನಿ ಕೋಲು'' in [[Kannada language|Kannada]], [[kuttiyum kolum]] in [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]], ''vitti-dandu'' विट्टी दांडू in [[Marathi language|Marathi]], ''Koyando-bal''(कोयंडो बाल) in [[Konkani language|Konkani]], ''kitti-pul'' (கிட்டி-புல்) in [[Tamil language|Tamil]], ''Gooti-Billa'' (Andhra Pradesh) or ''Karra-Billa'' (Andhra Pradesh) or ''Billam-Godu'' (Andhra Pradesh) or ''chirra-gonay'' (in Telangana) in [[Telugu language|Telugu]],
''Gulli-Danda'' (ਗੁੱਲ਼ੀ ਡੰਡਾ) in [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], ''Geeti Danna'' ({{Nastaliq|گیٹی ڈنا}}) in [[Saraiki language|Saraiki]], ''Iti-Dakar'' (اٽي ڏڪر) in [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]], ''Lappa-Duggi'' (لپا ڈگی) in [[Pashto language|Pashto]], ''Kon ko'' in [[Khmer language|Cambodian]], ''Pathel Lele'' in [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]], ''syatong'' in [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]], ''{{lang|hil|awe petew}}'' in [[Ilonggo language|Ilonggo]], ''çelikçomak'' in [[Turkish language|Turkish]], ''{{lang|zom|ciang sat}}'' in [[Zomi language]], "Đánh Trỏng" or "Đánh Khăng" in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnam]], Quimbumbia in [[Cuba]] and Lippa in [[Italy]].

==Rules==
[[File:Gilli-danda.jpg|thumb|The boy on left is about to strike the gilli with the danda, while the one on right is fielding.]]

"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.
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 [[fielding (cricket)|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.

== Similar games ==

* In [[Azerbaijan]], a similar game is called Çilingağac (Chilingaghaj).
* In [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], a similar game is called billarda.
* In [[Catalonia]] and the [[Valencian Community]], a similar game is called bòlit.
* In [[Philippines]], a game known as ''syatong'' or ''pati-kubra'' (in [[Morong, Rizal]]) is similar to gilli-danda.
* In [[Italy]] a similar game known as "[[:it:Lippa (gioco)|Lippa]]", "Lipe", "Tirolo", or "S-cianco" is shown in the movie ''[[Watch Out, We're Mad!]]''.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9A4NvJ_ozU Bud Spencer, Terence Hill e a Billarda]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5eDhhjMssI Y si no, nos enfadamos ( 2/10 ) – Juntos son dinamita]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CmUA8CWo2c palio mazza e pivezo cesa (CE)]</ref>
* In the United States, a similar game is called pee-wee.<ref>{{cite book
| author = Frederic Gomes Cassidy, Joan Houston Hall
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=i33BWgxbvXgC&pg=PA83#PPA83
| title = Dictionary of American Regional English
| publisher = Belknap, Harvard University Press
| year = 2002
| access-date = 14 September 2011
}}</ref>
* Dainty is a street ball game played in [[Schnitzelburg, Louisville]], in the United States
* In [[England]], a similar game was called [[Tip-cat]], [[giddy-gaddy]] and [[cat's pallet]].
* In [[Poland]] a similar game is known, called [[:pl:Klipa (gra)|Klipa]]
* In [[Malaysia]] a similar game is known as konda kondi
* In [[Russia]] a similar game is known as chizhik (чижик)
* In [[Ukraine]] a similar game is known as chizhik (чижик) as well with sports colours being black
* In [[Slovenia]] a similar game is known as pandolo
* In [[Mexico]] the game is known as Shangai or Changarais<ref>[[:es:Changarais]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=January 2018}}
*In [[Cuba]] the game is known as Quimbumbia.

== In popular culture ==
In [[List of Marathi films of 2014|2014]] ''[[Vitti Dandu]]'', a [[Sport films|sport]]-[[Drama film|drama]] [[Marathi cinema|Marathi]] movie, was made on the same sport, produced by [[Ajay Devgan]] and Leena Deore.

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

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.<ref>{{cite book
| author = Prakash Chandra Gupta
| year = 1968
| title = Prem Chand
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=bTUt0PwnCaYC&pg=PA9
| series = Makers of Indian Literature
| location = New Delhi
| publisher = Sahitya Akademi
| pages=9–
| isbn=978-81-260-0428-7
}}</ref>

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

==See also==
*[[Backyard cricket]]
*[[Pittu Garam]], also known as Pithu Fod or simply Pithu
*[[Kho Kho]]
*[[Paandi]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071026054356/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2001/06/09/stories/1309110a.htm How to Play Gilli-Danda]
*[https://www.academia.edu/31682490/SEVEN_GAMES_OF_INDIA_IN_THE_6th_CENTURY_BCE_AS_DEPICTED_IN_THE_MAHATANHASANKHAYASUTTA_OF_THE_MAJJHlMANIKA_YA SEVEN GAMES OF INDIA IN THE 6TH CENTURY B.C.]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcD5BoztOWA Watch Gilli-danda being played]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moy0TUKxTbk Watch a Gilli-danda tournament]
* [http://www.intelligiochi.it/nonni/lippa.htm Lippa] {{in lang|it}}
* [http://www.agaverona.it/s-cianco/lippa.php S-cianco] {{in lang|it}}
* [https://gillidandasport.com/ Gilli Danda International Federation]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilli-Danda}}
[[Category:Traditional sports of India]]
[[Category:Indian games]]
[[Category:Sports originating in South Asia]]
[[Category:Sports originating in India]]

Gillidanda - Revision history

>CharredWaffle at 21:17, 28 June 2021