Mumbai, Festive fervour reached a crescendo on Saturday, as thousands of ‘govindas’ formed human pyramids across Mumbai and neighbouring cities, risking bone-breaking falls to shatter curd-filled clay pots to mark Dahi Handi.
Dahi Handi, an integral part of the Janmashtami festivities, involves troupes of young men and women forming human pyramids as high as 10 tiers to break earthen pots filled with curd and suspended several metres above the ground. Civic authorities have kept over 100 hospital beds and emergency medical teams on standby to handle the injured. The 16 civic-run suburban hospitals and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion, KEM Hospital in Parel and Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central will have over 100 beds ready, the civic body stated in a release on Friday.
From narrow alleyways of Lalbaug and Dadar in central Mumbai to mega-venues in Thane, the air hung heavy with the beat of dhols, as troupes of young ‘govindas’, both male and female, travelled to venues in different parts of the city and suburbs to test months of practice to scale towering heights and win prizes worth lakhs. Decorated with flowers and balloons, hundreds of ‘handis’ were suspended in residential societies, at busy intersections, and open grounds across the metropolis after midnight, marking the birth of Lord Krishna. Dressed in vibrant jerseys, troupes swarmed streets in open trucks and tempos from early morning, travelling to major venues. Popular Bollywood and Marathi chartbusters blared from high-decibel speakers, amplifying the electric atmosphere, particularly in areas, including Parel, Lalbaug, Worli, Dadar, Bhandup, Mulund, Jogeshwari, Andheri, and neighbouring Thane and Navi Mumbai. Dahi Handi events organised by politicians in Mumbai and neighbouring areas have emerged as major attractions over the years, with huge prizes, celebrity appearances and entertainment programmes. Police have stepped up security, deploying heavy bandobast in sensitive areas, while the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has made extensive arrangements to treat injured ‘govindas’. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
