A traditional Spanish game has unexpectedly sparked nostalgia across India after videos of Billarda, a centuries-old sport played in Spain's Galicia region, went viral on social media.
The clips show players placing a small stick on a larger one, flicking it into the air and striking it toward a target. For Spaniards, it's Billarda. For many Indians watching online, however, it looked exactly like gilli danda, a game generations grew up playing in streets, villages and playgrounds.
"The West finally discovers Gilli Danda, a game India has been playing for thousands of years," read one viral post that fueled the debate.
Social media reacts
As the videos spread, Indians flooded social media with comments, arguing that the Spanish sport closely resembles the traditional Indian game.
One X user wrote, "Spaniards have re-branded our Gilli-Danda as Billarda. Wait till the US discovers this, they will turn it into an elite global sport and start a world championship."
