Dahi Handi is celebrated with fervor, especially in the twin cities of Mathura - Vrindavan, Dwarka and Mumbai. Young men in Mumbai yell 'Ala re ala, Govinda ala' during the ceremony.
Narvir Tanaji Mitra Mandal had hosted a 51-foot high (the highest ever) dahi handi with a 11-tier human pyramid in Thane. Apart from the prize money of Rs 51 lakh, audiences were also treated to performances by DJ Aqeel and a 15-minute ramp-cum-dance show by Terence Lewis.
Our event took a global turn in 2006, when a Spanish team came to the festival to demonstrate their 'Human Pyramid' skills. And this year too, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has decided to boost international tourism through the festival. MTDC has joined Sangharsh Social Organisation in Thane to market the festival.
Jitendra Awhad who heads Sangharsh said, "Sangharsh and MTDC will jointly organise the festival on August 24th 2008 in Thane. Though the festival remains the same, we will add new features to attract more people."
Ceremony of Dahi Handi - Janmashtami
Celebration of Janmashtami, birth of the famous Lord Krishna includes a number of ceremonies like, Raslila, Jhankis (tableaux) etc. Dahi Handi is a popular ceremony, celebrated with lot of enthusiasm and glee. Dahi Handi is an enactment of Lord Krishna's efforts to steal butter from Matka (earthen pot) suspended from the ceiling.
The Govinda Festival:
Following the cultural ethos of "Maakhan Chor" Sangarsh has carried forward the tradition for the past several years and every additional year the event grows two-fold. The persistent enthusiasm of the various participating Mandals, the crowd of over 1 Lakh and visiting International Tourists coming exclusively to watch the Govindas participate, all have contributed in making the festival a grand success.
Sangharsh, under the leadership of Shree Jeetendra Awhad has truly placed the Govinda Festival on the International map by sending one of our Govinda's to Spain to demonstrate the skills at building a mind boggling human pyramid of over 7 layers.
Covered by major National news and event channels, this festival is telecast live and has achieved a TRP Rating of 9.5. Besides this, locally in the city of Thane our event is also broadcast live over cable TV. |
