Saturday, 16 August 2025
Saturday, 16 August 2025
In Mumbai, Janmashtami celebrations are incomplete without Dahi Handi. The festival is not just about breaking an earthen pot, it is about teams of Govindas building human pyramids as the chants of “Govinda aala re” roll through Dadar, Lalbaug, Andheri, Goregaon, Mulund and Worli.
The sight is equal parts devotion and competition. And now increasingly, it is part spectacle.
What once was a neighbourhood tradition in Mumbai, now includes elebrity guests, Bollywood music, and million-rupee cash prizes.
Thane BJP president Sandeep Lele believes this growth needs direction. “There is need for a structured approach and proper administration to ensure the traditional Dahi Handi festival is elevated to the global stage,” he said.
Merely tagging it as an adventure sport won’t do, he argued. “Dahi Handi holds dual identity as a social festival deeply rooted in Maharashtra’s cultural fabric, and as a newly recognised sporting event. It requires established procedures, rules, regulations, and guidelines for its conduct. A study group must be formed to explore ways to professionalise the event, provide facilities to participants, and organise competitions that could pave the way for its inclusion in national and international events.”
According to Lele, organisers will soon meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to press their case.
State transport minister Pratap Sarnaik and his son, Shiv Sena Youth Wing leader Purvesh Sarnaik, announced that the Sanskruti Mandal handi this year would carry a “Sholay” theme to mark the film’s 50th anniversary. They also confirmed international participation: 111 castellers from Spain will join the festivities.
At the Navayug Mitra Mandal, Sagar Ramesh Ambre declared his group would contribute Rs 1,11,111 to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and honour the best women’s squad with the Nari Gaurav Puraskar.
Meanwhile, a Govinda team in Thane claimed to have formed a pyramid with ten layers on Saturday. Transport minister Sarnaik called it a “world record” and announced a prize of Rs 25 lakh for the Konkan Nagar Raja Govinda Team.
“The Govinda team has formed ten layers. We are continuing the traditions associated with Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe,” he said. Purvesh added: “Earlier, a record of nine layers was set on our stage. Today, Govindas of Konkan Nagar achieved ten layers.”
But the “world record” claim runs into history. In 2012, Jogeshwari’s Jai Jawan Govinda Pathak built a nine-tier pyramid that measured 13.34 metres (43.79 feet), earning a Guinness World Record and beating teams from Spain and China.
The same group scaled even higher in 2022, creating a 50-foot structure. The climber at the very top was a 14-year-old boy, who cracked open the suspended handi and secured their record.
For devotees, the pyramids continue to symbolise Krishna’s playful raids on butter pots but for politicians, organisers and sponsors, they are also about visibility and prestige.
