Pedestrians stopped and vehicular traffic slowed down to watch govindas complete dahi handi pyramids on the occasion of Janmashtami.
“The higher the pyramid, the more exciting it is to watch,” said Esha Vani, while clicking photographs of a seven-tier pyramid in Parel. Despite the unforgiving heat, traffic was chock-a-block at spots known to be Govinda belts.
Govinda mandals participated either to compete or simply to be a part of the festivities, getting a thrill out of forming pyramids. “Since we are not so much into competition and more into participation, we make six to eight-tier pyramids,” said Prashant Wanadi of the Laxmi Buiding Rahiwasi Sangh in Byculla.
Many others travelled long distances with the intention to compete and made much taller pyramids. “We have already been to Bandra and Vile Parle. Now we will be heading to Awhad’s and Sarnaik’s Dahi Handi in Thane,” said a member of Sai Dham Govinda Patak from Lalbaug. There, they plan to form a nine-tier pyramid.
Politicians too turned up at the spots, and were offering a huge prize money to winners. MLA Sachin Ahir, who organised a dahi handi event in Worli, said, “Last year, by afternoon we had around 180 mandals. This year, we already had over 250 mandals participating.”
While actors Shah Rukh Khan, Adiyta Roy Kapoor, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol attended the dahi handi event organised by Ahir, Rohit Shetty and Shreyas Talpade showed up at the one organised by MLA Krishna Hegde.
Shah Rukh Khan was also seen entertaining the crowd at Ram Kadam’s dahi handi. However, people did not just go for the star value at these events. “I am here because I like to take photographs,” said Dhairya Shah, a Kandivli resident, who headed to Vile Parle after clicking pictures in Worli and Bandra.
Women govindas too have started taking up the challenge in a big way, forming pyramids up to six levels high.
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