KOCHI: As kids, all of us have plenty of fond memories of the games we used to play after school hours and during holidays, be it indoor or outdoor games. Today, most of the outdoor games played then are almost extinct, with some on the verge of being forgotten thanks to our busy lifestyle and also the urbanisation which has taken up most of the playgrounds and empty spaces that were so abundant. One such game which is forgotten due to a lack of space to play in is Gilli Danda, or Chinni Dandu as it is called in Kannada.
Gilli Danda is played with two wooden sticks-a small one about three inches long called the gilli, and a longer one called the danda, around two feet long. The gilli is tapered at the ends to get a good grip for striking it and the greatest challenge lies in how well and how far one can strike the spinning gilli in air.
The game is played between two teams with one team on strike while the other fields. It can also be played by individual players. A small circle is drawn and the striker (the one who hits the gilli) stands inside the circle with the gilli placed across a small hole dug up on the ground . Sometimes the gilli may be balanced on a stone in an inclined position, with one end touching the ground and the other in air. The fielders take various positions to catch the gilli.
The striker hits the gilli from its position using the danda, tossing it in the air and then striking it as hard as he can. If a fielder catches the gilli before it hits the ground, the player is out. Otherwise, the distance from the centre point to the point where the gilli has fallen is measured using the danda, with one danda length equalling one point.The game continues, with a fielder tossing the gilli (standing from the position where it had fallen) to the striker, who tries to hit it. If he misses it while it is in the air, he will tap the tapered end and tries to hit it from the ground. He gets three chances to hit the gilli. If he misses or gets caught, the next player will strike and the game continues till all the players of one team are out.
The other team bats in the same way and the team with the highest points wins the game. The game is also played in many variations and the scoring depends on how many times the gilli was hit in the air. If the player strikes the gilli two times in the air, the points get doubled.
Fortunately, this game is still played in Mysuru and its surrounding villages, especially in its extensions and outskirts where there is plenty of space for youngsters to play. It is traditionally played between two teams belonging to different villages and also during village fairs and festivals.The game is also dangerous as sometimes the gilli hits passersby or the players resulting in grievous injuries which sometimes can be fatal.