Mumbai annually celebrates the festive celebration of Janmashtami, which honours the birth of Lord Shri Krishna. The custom of handi reflects Lord Krishna’s fondness for butter and his youthful, naughty attempts to steal it. This year, Dahi Handi events will be held on September 7, whereas Janmashtami will be celebrated on September 6. If you’re in Mumbai, you shouldn’t miss these six locations for the overwhelming Dahi Handi celebrations!
1.Ghatkopar’s Shri Krishna Janmashtami Utsav Mandal: A centre for Janmashtami celebrations, it is popular to see the magnificence of Dahi Handi because of its distinctive themes and beautiful handi decorations.
2. Sarvajanik Shree King’s Circle resident Ganeshotsav Mandal (G.S.B.) It draws massive crowds and is one of Mumbai’s finest and most well-known Dahi Handi celebrations.
3. Kharghar’s Shramik Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal: This mandal offers a singular experience unlike any other and is home to one of Mumbai’s oldest and toughest Dahi Handi competitions.
4. For its annual Dahi Handi celebration, the Jai Jawan Mitra Mandal in Lower Parel, in the centre of Mumbai, draws large gatherings, lively participants, and foot-tapping songs.
5. Lalbaug’s Bal Gopal Mitra Mandal You shouldn’t miss the exciting Dahi Handi celebration it organises each year if you’re in the area because it’s known for its colourful Janmashtami celebrations.
6. Thane’s Sanskruti Yuva Pratishthan Dahi Handi This Dahi Handi ceremony, one of the biggest in the city, is run by Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik.
Date and time of the event
On September 6 and 7, 2023, Mumbai is going to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami. The festivities of Dahi Handi play a significant role in this event. At these six must-see locations in Mumbai, take in the glory of the Dahi Handi celebrations.
One day following Krishna Janmashtami is dedicated to the Dahi Handi festival. The Ashtami Tithi will start on September 6 at 3:37 PM and end on September 7 at 4:14 PM. The Dahi Handi event will be held on September 7 this calendar year.
Gopalkala is another name for the Dahi Handi celebrations in Maharashtra. The Popularity of this event is high in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa. Lord Krishna, who loved butter and curd, has a particular place in his heart for dahi handi.
To break an earthen pot with dahi (curd) or other kinds of dairy held at a height, a group of boys and girls create a human pyramidal structure. The clay pot is placed in the centre of a rope that has been extended across the terrace between the two buildings.
The goal is for participants to balance while piling atop one another to form a human pyramid until any of the members of their team succeeds in breaking the pot.
In the past, milk products were kept in earthen handicrafts that were hung from walls. Because of his penchant for mischief as a boy, Lord Krishna would frequently steal butter from these pots, occasionally breaking them in the process. Krishna’s buddies would arrange themselves into a human pyramid to help him reach the pots that were hung high.
History of the Dahi Handi Festival
The goal of the sport is to recreate the incident in which Lord Krishna and his friends stole butter as children. For those who are unaware, this is how infant Krishna committed butter theft. Krishna, also known as Makhan Chor, or “the butter thief,” would visit nearby residents’ homes covertly while accompanied by his companions.
Women back then kept butter in earthen pots suspended from the ceiling at a height where kids couldn’t get to them. Krishna would outsmart them by telling his companions to climb on top of one another in the shape of a human pyramid to get to the pots and enjoy the freshly churned butter. Amazingly, even when detected, Krishna frequently avoided punishment.
Dahi Handi tournaments receive a lot of interest and participation. Govindas, the participants, frequently dress alike to represent their group. To find out which group successfully cracks the pot without losing balance, competitions are held. Maharashtra is a popular location for this sport, and there, winning teams frequently receive substantial financial awards. Dahi Handi is also referred to as Oori Adi in Tamil Nadu.
The Dahi Handi Govinda Pathak in Byculla has celebrated the festival for a century, indicating an exceptional accomplishment among the Mumbai Dahi Handi Pathaks. The textile mill workers who lived in the Lalbaug and Byculla neighbourhoods founded this pathak, now known as the Bal Gopal Govinda Utsav Mandal, which has been committed to Dahi Handi practice and performance for almost three generations.