When the pot breaks

Broken pots indicate successes of the Govindas who form the human pyramid to break the pot hung up high in the air.

Blonde Govinda

A blonde Govinda (Lord Krishna)! Wow! Tradition modernised! At the dahi handi celebrations in Dadar.

Dahi Handi

Dahi Handi is a festive event and a team sport during the Hindu festival of Gokulashtami, which is also known as Krishna Janmashtami in celebration of the birth of Krishna.

It is celebrated the day after Krishna Janmashtami and it involves communities hanging an earthen pot filled with dahi (yoghurt) at a convenient height for teams of young boys/girls to make a human pyramid and attempt to reach or break the pot. As they do so, spectators sing and cheer them on. It is an event with media attendance, prize money and commercial sponsorships.

A participant in this festival is called a Govinda and it is very popular in the state of Maharashtra, especially in the city of Mumbai.

It was celebrated yesterday in Mumbai with great fervour as you can see in the pictures below.

The Captain gauging the height for number of tiers in pyramid to be formed.

The 2nd tier

The 3rd tier

The 4th tier

The 5th and final bursts the pot

And they all come down!