Ahead of the Gokulashtami celebrations scheduled for September 5, the Maharashtra Government on Wednesday announced its decision to give ‘adventure sport’ status to the ‘Dahi-handi’ (human pyramid formations) performed on the festival day and asked the State apex body of Govinda mandals to formulate guidelines to make to make the event “safe” for revellers.
Talking to mediapersons here, Maharashtra Education and Sports Minister Vinod Tawde said that the State Government had decided to promote ‘Dahi handi,’ by giving it an ‘adventurous sport’ status and strictly enforcing safety guidelines to prevent mishaps during the ‘human pyramid’ formations made by the revellers on the Gokulashtami day.
During the ‘Dahi-handi’ celebrations, groups of boisterous youngsters — better known as Govindas — form human pyramids to break the traditional ‘dahi-handis.’ The human pyramids are as high as 60 feet involving as many as ten layers.
These ‘dahi-handis’ contain a mixture of milk, curd, dry fruits and huge prize money for Govindas who break them.
Not a year passes without mishaps on the Gokulashtami day. A 46-year-old man had died of a heart attack and at least 210 revellers were injured in various mishaps that marred the ‘Dahi-handi’ celebrations held in different parts of Mumbai and neighbouring Thane on August 18 last year.