“Dahi Handi” translates to a pot of yogurt! Dahi: yogurt. Handi: pot. This day, the birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated as Janmashtami.
Janmashtami has a unique tradition and flavour in Mumbai. This festival is locally more popular as Dahi Handi.
It is a celebration of Krishna’s endearing love for all things milk, and the tricks the naughty baby Krishna would resort to—just to get his hands on that creamy yoghurt his mother would try to hide in vain!
What’s a festival without dance and music?
What was once just a community celebration has now been scaled up to an extravaganza. Live dance and music tries to keep pace with the frenzied action on the ground.
Folk dances, like this one, known as lavani, are organised to keep the crowds entertained and spice up the already action-packed evening.
Govinda Pathaks – Dahi Handi and human pyramids
Govinda pathaks is the name given to the groups of daredevils who take on the challenge of breaking the Dahi Handi. (Lord Krishna was often referred to as Govinda in his younger mischief filled days).
“They are a labour of love, these pyramids!”
The govindas spend the day of Dahi Handi travelling across Mumbai, to locations where these pots have been set up. At each venue, they try to break the coveted pot.
Venues can be varying; some dahi handis are set up in large open grounds, some in the middle of the road. The most common venues are narrow bylanes between buildings. The only constant being the crowds that swarm to each venue.
This is what a pyramid formation looks like from up above. A sea of their comrades stands at the bottom with raised arms. This is their only safety net on the ground.
Organisers have now started paying attention to the safety measures. The top most govinda is now secured with ropes and helmets.
But all the risks are forgotten when the coveted pot is in sight. Concentration and agility are at their peak, as the pyramid rises one human level at a time.
The last man standing takes his time to stand up, balance himself and finally—strike gold!
The joyous dances are a sight in themselves. Money is, of course, an important reward.
But the sweet smell of victory for these “govindas” is laced more than anything with a huge sense of pride!
See more of our Dahi Handi photos.
You might also like to read stories on these festivals:
20 thoughts on “Happy Birthday Krishna – Janmashtami celebrations in Mumbai”
Hii,
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Great post
Wow! What a brilliant post. Being claustrophobic I don’t think I can ever experience this personally, so a huge thank you for showcasing this extraordinary event.
I was afraid of the crowds, the first time we went for this. But I guess the energy of the place just carried me on. Everyone around was so emotionally invested, from the spectators to the climbers themselves, that soon, I became oblivious to the sheer number of people present there.
happy krishna janmashtami
Nice Janmashtami celebrations in Mumbai.
Very nice post and beautiful pics. Krishna is everything. Happy Janmashtami to all.
I have seen it in Mangalore, but those are small levels. Exciting they are. Beautiful pictures.
Thanks, Kishor! So they have these Dahi handi celebrations in Mangalore as well? Didn’t know that! In Mumbai, the scale of celebrations is going higher every year.
Very interesting post. I could visualize the atmosphere of the Dahi handi celebration. The photos are stunning.
Thank you, so much! It is an electric atmosphere, at these Dahi Handi pyramids. Glad to know it’s coming out through the pictures!
Nice post and picture are very beautiful.
Very nice post and beautiful pics. Krishna is everything. Happy Janmashtami to all.
Thank you, Piya! We are very glad that a Krishna devotee liked our post on Janmashtami/ Dahi Handi.
Thanks for posting these! I’ve been scrolling through your articles and loving them, there are many things I didn’t know before.
Hello Kit, thank you so much for your appreciation. This really means a lot to us!
Your words are as vibrant and colourful as your pictures. They bring the occasion to life. Thank you. I hope you publish books on your travels soon. Your insight deserves a far larger audience.
Thank you so much Kim, for such a generous comment. We are delighted to know you are enjoying our travel photos and stories.
Fantastic pictures as usual, plus I’ve learnt new words in Hindi and a new story about Krishna that I ignored until now. You made my day. Thanx
Hey Veronique, that is such a nice feedback to our story! We added some new photos to the story after we published it, hope you like them too! This local flavour of celebrating Janmashtami, is a unique way of celebrating the young mischievous Krishna. You can just feel the energy in the air at these Dahi Handi venues.