Mumbai revels in Janmashtami celebrations

MUMBAI: Prayers, fasting and revelry were witnessed across Maharashtra as people celebrated Janmashtami with religious fervour and enthusiasm on Tuesday.
   
The festival marks the birth of Lord Krishna. A large number of devotees thronged temples, which resounded with devotional songs and prayers since early morning.

Many people observed a fast through the day that would be broken at midnight with a feast consisting of milk-based dishes.

'Dahi handis', earthen pots containing a mixture of curd and other items, hung across many areas of this metropolis, some as high as 30 feet, even as groups of people called "Govindas" journeyed across the city, forming human pyramids to break them.

Many of the 'handis' are put up by political parties and offer lakhs in prizes to groups who manage to break them.

Police presence across the financial capital was high with security agencies on alert on account of the recent terror strike in Hyderabad. Many parts of Mumbai also witnessed traffic snarls on account of the festivities.

State government establishments enjoyed a holiday on account of the festival.