Mumbai: BJP organises 400 'Dahi Handi' events; Ashish Shelar says festival will usher in change in metropolis

Pic/Sameer Abedi

The Mumbai unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has organised 400 'Dahi Handi' celebrations in the metropolis this year, including at Jambori Maidan in Worli, the constituency of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray.

The 'Dahi Handi' celebrations of Thursday are the last before next year's Lok Sabha polls, likely to be held in April-May, and the polls to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which have been pending since early 2022.

The BMC was controlled by the Uddhav Thackeray-controlled Shiv Sena for 25 years between 1997 and 2022 and the BJP has been making all-out efforts to capture the country's richest civic body.

"This year's Dahi Handi will usher in change in Mumbai," asserted BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar.

Shelar said BJP leaders, MLAs, MPs and party office-bearers have organised 'Dahi Handi' celebrations in different parts of the city.

'Dahi Handi' celebrations imitate the fun and frolic of Lord Krishna's childhood and are marked by groups of youth, called 'Govindas', making human pyramids to break curd-laden pots.

The festival is among the most patronised in the city and gives political parties an ideal platform for mass connect.

The BJP had also organised workshops for 'Govindas' ahead of 'Dahi Handi' festivities and some 150 groups had participated.

Dahi Handi celebrations started in Mumbai on Thursday morning with much joy and enthusiasm as thousands of participants and spectators gathered to mark the occasion.

Dahi Handi is part of the Krishna Janmashtami festival, celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. During the festival, 'Govindas' or Dahi Handi participants form multi-tiered human pyramids to break 'dahi handis' (earthen pots filled with curd) suspended in the air.

Dahi handis decorated with flowers have been hoisted many feet above the ground at several housing societies, roads, junctions and public grounds across the city.

Dressed in colourful attires, Govindas have been visiting these places in trucks, tempos, buses and two-wheelers.

Popular Bollywood songs about the festival are blaring from speakers at every nook and corner of the city, with the festive spirit particularly high in Marathi-dominated pockets like Parel, Lalbaug, Worli, Dadar, Bhandup, Mulund, Goregaon and Andheri.

In recent years, some Dahi Handi events backed by politicians in Mumbai and neighbouring cities have become famous due to hefty prize money, the presence of celebrities and entertainment programmes organised there.
These Dahi Handis attract huge crowds and a steady flow of Govindas.

Police officials said they have beefed up the security agreements in the city to avoid any law and order issues during the celebrations.

According to a release by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), it has kept 125 beds ready at civic hospitals for the treatment of the Govindas if they get injured after falling while making human pyramids.

The civic body has deputed health officers and staff in three shifts for treatment of the Govinda at the civic hospitals. Besides, these hospitals have been directed to keep injections, medicines and surgery materials ready, the release said.

(With inputs from PTI)