22 govindas injured during Dahi Handi celebrations in Mumbai, 21 discharged

Twenty-two ‘govindas’, or youngsters taking part in the formation of multi-storeyed human pyramids during Dahi Handi celebrations, were injured in Mumbai and its suburbs on Saturday, civic officials said.

Of those injured, 21 were discharged from hospitals after receiving treatment, while one remained admitted, they said.

Dahi Handi is a traditional part of the Janmashtami festival, which marks the birth of Lord Krishna. The festival was celebrated across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra with traditional fervour and enthusiasm.

As part of the celebrations, teams of ‘govindas’ form multi-tiered human pyramids to break clay pots filled with curd that are suspended above the ground.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), 20 injured ‘govindas’ were admitted to hospitals in the island city and all were discharged after treatment.

One ‘govinda’ was injured in an eastern suburb and was discharged after treatment, while another injured in a western suburb remained under treatment, officials said.

The police had stepped up security across Mumbai for the festival, with heavy bandobast deployed in sensitive areas.

The BMC had also made arrangements to treat people injured during the celebrations.

Sixteen civic-run suburban hospitals, along with Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion, KEM Hospital in Parel and Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central, had more than 100 beds reserved for treating injured ‘govindas’, the civic body said in a release on Friday.