Going back to the days of Chor Police and Gilli Danda!

It’s always said children of rural Bengal are more fit than the urban kids, and why not, they do not play games at some club or are trained in some coaching centre with an aim to become a world champion. Rather they play to their heart’s content in the dust laden village paths and that too outdoor games that give them a sense of freedom. 

There are many such games that even as a child many of us played as the urban landscape consisted of bungalows, sprawling lawns, neighbourhood parks and enough space for outdoor games. Remember Chor Police? Two teams divided into thieves (chor) and the other were policemen. The police team had the task of catching the chor and then the turn changed. It is one of the most popular games played by children all over the world with different names and a slight change in rules, but the overall objective remains the same --- to run and run really fast.

Gilli Danda is one of the most popular childhood games played in rural India. It is a street game with rivals competing almost like a match 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. But well you do not need to buy an expensive cricket bat or balls or accessories for the same. That’s the fun of a sport so loved by all.