‘Heightened’ Dahi Handi Revelry Continues Despite Court Curb
Here’s all the live action on the Dahi Handi festival to mark Krishna Janmashtami in Maharashtra.
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- ‘Govindas’ across Maharashtra seemed undeterred by the SC order that prohibited ‘Dahi Handi’ human pyramids of over 20 feet.
- Raj Thackeray’s MNS openly flouted the norm and created a 40-foot Dahi Handi pyramid in Thane.
- Govindas in other parts of the state waved black flags and climbed on ladders to break the handis in protest.
- This year saw Maharashtra’s first visually impaired team of Govindas.
- MNS leaders are likely to be arrested on Friday by the Mumbai Police.
- 14 Govindas were injured and taken to the hospital of whom 10 have been discharged.
14 Govindas Injured During Dahi Handi Festivities
As the Supreme Court ruling was flouted, 14 govindas were injured and taken to the hospital of whom 10 have been discharged.
Shades of Defiance
The government is unlikely to act against the handi organisers and those protesting by waving flags and using ladders as it will not want to be seen as anti-Hindu.
Girls Are Rising to the Occasion
While boys participate every year in breaking the handi, this year the girls of Dadar are participating in their own groups to win the prize.
Raj Thackeray Takes on Supreme Court, All in the Name of Polls
Of Breaking Rules and Protests
Yes, Rules Broken But Won’t Take Action Right Now: Mumbai Police
Maharashtra’s First Visually Impaired Govinda Team
Everyone is getting involved with the festivities as the first visually impaired team of Maharashtra took a swing at the handi.
‘Yes, I Will Break the Law’: MNS Thane City Chief
The Quint’s Ashish Dikshit reports that the court’s height and age restrictions have been flouted thrice at the Dahi Handi organised by the MNS in Thane.
Govindas Protest SC’s Restriction
Dahi Handi organisers and devotees have devised innovative ways to protest the apex court’s restriction on the pyramids.
- A group wore black ribbons on their hands, another wore black ribbons on their eyes.
- A group formed a 40-foot ‘pyramid’ by lying flat on the road in Dadar.
- One of the groups didn’t form a pyramid at all, but used a small wooden ladder to break the handi.
Defiance of Law in Goregaon
In Goregaon, Gamdevi women’s group has also flouted the Supreme Court’s height and age restrictions by forming a five-layered pyramid (above 20 feet) with a minor girl at the top.
MNS Openly Flouting SC Ruling?
While most organisers are abiding by the SC restriction, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has apparently organised a 40-foot handi in Thane .
It is named ‘Kayda-Bhang’ (law-breaking) Dahi Handi — in brazen defiance of the law. The prize money for the handi is a massive Rs 11 lakh.
Avinash Jadhav, the man organising the handi in Thane told NDTV that he “only takes his orders only from his boss Raj Thackeray, Chief of the MNS.”
As Maharashtra prepares to mark Krishna Janmashtami with the Dahi Handi festival on Thursday, police authorities are out to ensure organisers abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling that disallows human pyramids more than 20 feet tall.
The Quint’s reporters Ashish Dikshit, Pallavi Prasad and Sheldon Healy bring you live coverage from across locations in Mumbai and Thane.
Based on the legend of Krishna stealing butter, the Dahi Handi festival involves making a human pyramid and breaking an earthen pot filled with curd tied at a height.
Dahi Handi Height ‘Very Scary’: SC
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court (SC) refused to entertain a plea seeking the modification of height restrictions on the dahi handi formations, saying it will remain at 20 feet.
It also barred children below 18 years of age from participating as govindas in the ritual of forming human pyramids during the celebrations of Janmashtami.
Govinda pathaks (groups), Govinda mandals (organisers) and political parties (MNS, Shiv Sena) have all spoken on record about flouting SC restrictions.
Police sent a notice to MNS after chief Raj Thackeray asked party workers and supporters to continue with 40-foot formations and not worry about contempt of court.
Several mandals in Mumbai form a human pyramid comprising of 8 layers every year. Some attempt a 9th layer, which is very difficult. Every year, there is curiosity about who can form the 9th layer.
With the SC restriction of 20 feet (which many in Mumbai feel is unfair), only 4 layers can be formed. Each professional mandal has between 200-500 members. They practice for months every year and spend over Rs 10 lakh on practice.
The money spent on practice is recovered as cash prizes earned after breaking handis – higher heights mean higher cash prizes. As the prize money is related to height, mandals fear they will not be able to recover the money they have invested in practice this year. Dahi Handi is an essential part of Mumbai’s political culture.
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