"Go... Go... Go... Govinda!" chants across Mumbai came alive as celebrations of the vibrant festival of Janmashtami started in the city. Traditionally, breaking Dahi Handi was done by men forming human pyramids, but with a change in customs, women are now breaking and making records, proving themselves stronger.
In Mumbai's Dadar, on the occasion of Janmashtami, women Govindas broke the traditional Dahi Handi safely without falling to the ground. Amid heavy rainfall and waterlogging across the city, women Govindas formed a pyramid and performed traditional rituals, which were earlier widely performed by men Govindas.
"We were preparing for almost a month... We will participate in more events today and break at least 10 'dahi handis'," a participant who broke the Dahi Handi told the news agency ANI. She said that they would also go to Vikhroli and Thane district to break 'Dahi Handis.'
She further said that they start preparations two months in advance for this day. The festival of Dahi Handi, celebrated with immense enthusiasm, symbolises the playful spirit and endurance of Lord Krishna’s escapades.
Dahi and makhan, recreating Lord Krishna’s childhood, where he and his friends stole makhan and dahi by creating human pyramids to reach the pots, gave the festival its name ‘Dahi Handi’.
Meanwhile, an 11-year-old, Mahesh Jadhav, fell to his death while practising in Dahisar. Considering this, the pathaks are ensuring they keep safety at the fore when they test the boundaries to win the title.