India recently celebrated Janmashtami and it was the perfect time for Maharashtra to declare Dahi Handi as an official sport. On Thursday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced in the State Assembly that Dahi Handi will now be recognized as an official sport under the sports category in Maharashtra. This step will allow the ‘Govindas’ to apply for government jobs under the sports quota. Dahi Handi is basically organized during Janmashtami, to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. The participants (Govindas) form a human pyramid to break a mid-air hanging earthen pot filled with curd. And with CM Eknath Shinde officially declaring Dahi Handi a sport, Maharashtra is all set to organize pro-Govinda games to popularise it.
The Dahi Handi Utsav Samanvay Samiti Wrote To The CM To Make Dahi Handi An Adventurous Sport In Maharashtra
On Thursday, CM Eknath Shinde officially announced that Dahi-handi’ will be recognized under the sports category in Maharashtra, and along with that ‘Pro-Dahi-Handi’ will be introduced in the state soon. An opIndia report states that this happened after the request of the Dahi Handi Utsav Samanvay Samiti who wrote to the CM to make Dahi Handi an adventurous sport. “This has been a long pending demand. Rather than playing it only once a year on the day of the festival, we hope for more competitions and events such as pro kabaddi will be organized so that the Govindas can practice, play and have a healthy competition throughout the year”, revealed Arun Pati, a committee member of Dahi Handi Utsav Samanvay Samiti.
‘Dahi-handi’ will be recognised under the sports category in Maharashtra. ‘Pro-Dahi-Handi’ will be introduced. The ‘Govindas’ will get jobs under sports category. We will provide insurance cover of Rs 10 lakhs for all ‘Govindas’: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde pic.twitter.com/7LLmgAnZOD
— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2022
Govindas Will Be Provided Insurance Cover Of 10 Lakh
After the decision to make Dahi Handi an official sport in Maharashtra was made public, CM Eknath Shinde spoke to the media and revealed, “Dahi-handi will be recognized under the sports category in Maharashtra. Pro-Dahi-Handi will be introduced. The Govindas will get jobs under the sports category. We will provide insurance cover of Rs 10 lakhs for all Govindas.” He said that the players will be eligible for government jobs under the 5 percent sports quota. Apart from this, CM Eknath Shinde also added that the state will organize pro-Govinda games to popularise Dahi Handi as a sport, and prize money for the same will be paid by the government.
दहिहंडीच्या प्रो गोविंदा स्पर्धांना मान्यता..
महाराष्ट्राची सांस्कृतिक ओळख व परंपरा असलेल्या दहिहंडीच्या (गोविंदा) ‘प्रो गोविंदा’ स्पर्धा घेण्याची घोषणा करण्यात आली.स्पर्धेसाठी बक्षिसाची रक्कम शासनातर्फे देण्यात येईल.तसेच खेळाडू संवर्गातून शासकीय नोकरी देण्यात येईल.#ProGovinda
— Eknath Shinde – एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) August 18, 2022
Also read: 6 Different Ways In Which Janmashtami Is Celebrated Across India