Yesterday was Krishna Janmashtami in Mumbai. This festival, also known as Govinda, commemorates the birthday of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna, recognised as being the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is revered for his wisdom about how to live life on Earth.
Normally, Janmashtami is a day of high excitement and celebration in Mumbai. Huge Dahi Handi competitions, sponsored by political parties, take place all over the city. Clay pots containing butter, curd, and money are strung up high from buildings. Young males form a human pyramid in an attempt to reach the pots and break them open. This celebration represents Lord Krishna’s love for butter and curd, which were the foods he most often enjoyed eating.
Competition can be intense, as the prize money is often substantial. It’s not unusual for competitors to come away with broken bones and other injuries.
Unfortunately, due to swine flu hysteria in Mumbai, most large scale Dahi Handi festivities were cancelled yesterday. It didn’t stop the locals from having fun though.
So how do these guys go about forming a human pyramid? It’s actually quite difficult, and harder than it looks. Plenty of stamina and strategy are required.
The base and first layer are established.
The base and first layer are slowly established by a group of sturdy guys. The guys must have good strength, as they’re required to hold the upper layers of the pyramid. Each guy stands on the shoulders of another.
The second layer is carefully added.
The two guys who will form the second layer climb up one at a time, by stepping on the shoulders of the other guys.
The single third layer is added.
The third layer of this pyramid is the guy who’s going to reach for the clay pot. He carefully positions his feet on the other two guys, so he can be lifted up.
The most difficult part of the competition.
The second layer of the pyramid stands up, balancing the top guy on their shoulders. This is the most crucial part of this competition, and the one that usually causes the pyramid to fall down (which it did on numerous attempts!). A large group of guys stand around the bottom of the pyramid to catch anyone, should they fall.
Reaching for the clay pot.
With a great deal of concentration, the guy reaches for the clay pot….
Grabbing the clay pot.
And he gets it!
Competing in Dahi Handi festivities isn’t for the feint hearted. In the larger, politically sponsored competitions, the human pyramids can go up as high as 40 feet, with as many as eight layers. They are truly a sight to behold.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome Sharell,
Great pics.
These are the events which make me Really Proud To Be An Indian.
So much colour and fun can be seen no where in the world.
Cheers and Happy Independence Day to you once again.
i am glad that u are safely back home.
I just love the community spirit of Indian festivals. For sure, festival time makes India such a special place.
And a big happy Independence Day to all my Indian readers, and readers with a special place for India in their hearts!
Hey Sharell
So,when are u planning to buy an Auto??
Give me a free ride in your auto when i visit mumbai
okay??
Cheers
I’d love to buy one now but fear the bureaucracy I’d have to go through to be able to keep it and drive it in Mumbai.
This is great! I was jealous that you got to see this in real life, but then today I went to the Indian heritage festival in the next city over from here (I’m in Virginia) and they did the same thing!! It was hilarious to watch the guys trying to reach the clay pot. There were also lots of dancers and performers and it was a great day. Happy independence day!
To those unfamiliar with Janmashtami festivities in Mumbai, here’s a Bollywood clip that conveys the flavour quite realistically. Don’t miss the pyramid formation at end…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z60TE_JDsJE
Great clip Mowgli!
I wonder how many shots it took them to get the pyramid scene right!
D – it’s wonderful that you can experience Indian culture in the US like that. It really makes a difference to see it for real, rather in photos!
in spite of such festivities India sucks at Olympics.
Hows Mumbai btw?? respite from rain gods??
Mumbai’s great! The rain gods have moved on, and the city is looking fresh and green. But now we have swine flu hysteria to contend with.
Swine flu?? It seems Indian elite (includes me too) is the problem…..
…
Minister of health has this to say I quote
“You have to understand that in India more than lakh patients die due to viral flu, malaria and TB. But, nobody gives it in headline news. I am also, not trying to distinguish between rich and poor. Swine flu has suddenly become disease of high society because it has come through people flying abroad.” ….. I agree …..
and he goes on to say this as well …..again I quote …
“The Indian government tried to stop the flu from coming to India. We requested western countries to try screening passengers. But, you know this is a unipolar world. The western countries would have stopped flights from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh in a similar case. ”
Anyway a teacher from my school in Bangalore fell victim to swine flu and did not survive.
i needed pics for my janmashtmi project and i am not getting any suggest me any site yarr i am in 5th std …….
Here, try this:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?l=cc&w=all&q=janmashtami&m=text