Breaking Earthen Pots And Building Human Pyramids, The Thrill, Tradition, And Significance Of Dahi Handi

If you’ve ever walked through the streets of Mumbai, Pune, or Thane during Krishna Janmashtami, you might have seen huge crowds gathered around a clay pot hung in the air. There’s music, colours, decoration, and people climbing on top of each other to reach it. That’s Dahi Handi, one of the most thrilling and joyful festivals in India.

What Is Dahi Handi And Why Is It Celebrated?

Simply put, “Dahi” means “curd,” and “Handi” means “earthen pot.” A pot is tied high above the ground the day after Krishna Janmashtami. It is filled with curd, butter, milk, fruits, or even cash. The Govindas, groups of young men and women, attempt to reach it and break it by building tall human pyramids. As music plays and the crowd cheers, people throw water from buckets or spray hoses to make it harder for them to balance. 

Dahi Handi is inspired by the stories of Lord Krishna’s childhood. He would steal milk, curd, and butter from someone in his village because he loved them so much. When his neighbours grew tired of his mischievous behaviour, they started hanging butter pots from the ceilings. But Krishna climbed on the shoulders of his friends and formed a human pyramid to get to the pot. Dahi Handi is all about this naughty and playful side of Krishna. 

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The Passion, Teamwork, And Celebration

In Maharashtra, weeks before the festival, Govinda groups, known as mandals, start practicing how to build strong and steady pyramids. There can be up to nine levels of people in the tallest pyramids! Supporting the others, the strongest and heaviest members stand at the bottom. The person who is the lightest, usually a child, climbs all the way to the top to break the handi, while the person in the middle needs balance and concentration.

Traditionally, the pot contains butter, curd, or milk, and when it breaks, the contents spill over the team as a symbol of victory. Some handis now offer prizes as well, which boosts the excitement of the competition.

As the pyramid rises, people chant, “Ala re ala, Govinda ala!” (“The Govinda has arrived”). Everyone holds their breath until the top Govinda reaches the handi. At last, it breaks, and the audience cheers, dances, and applauds. Although the festival is most popular in Maharashtra, other states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also celebrate Dahi Handi.

Dahi Handi celebrates Lord Krishna’s story that has been told for centuries.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/AKS.9955 and canva/HemantMandot