Dahi Handi 2024 Importance - Story - Origin - Perfect Amalgamation of Sport and Spirituality During Janmashtami

The festival of Sri Krishna Janmashtami is noted for the Dahi Handi breaking ceremony in Maharashtra. Dahi Handi is observed a day after Sri Krishna Jayanti mainly in Maharashtra and Goa. Dahi Handi 2024 date is August 27. On the day young boys and girls form human pyramids to break open the Dahi Handi pots hung high above. The young men and women reenact one of the favorite pastimes of Lord Krishna – his stealing of Dahi from pots in houses in Vrindavan.

The Dahi Handi pot which is hung at a considerable height is an open challenge to the young boys and girls in the area. The competition is organized by various organizations and societies.

The Dahi Handi pot contains Dahi poha – a mixture of beaten rice (poha), curd, sugar, and pickle. The pot is also decorated with flowers and currency notes.

Perfect Amalgamation of Sport and Spirituality

Dahi Handi is a perfect amalgamation of sport and spirituality and provides youngsters an opportunity to be adventurous and to show team spirit and unity. Young boys and girls make human pyramids to break the earthen pot hanging high above and the attempt to break the pot is accompanied by the chanting of ‘Govinda ala re’ and by loud sounds of cymbals and drums.

Dahi Handi is also known as Gopal Kala

The festival is also known as ‘Gopal Kala’. The name comes from a dish or a mixture of yogurt, pounded rice and jaggery, which is offered to Krishna on the day. The same mixture is placed in the Dahi Handi pot.

Story of Dahi Handi

Legend has it that Sri Krishna was very fond of curd and butter. He and his friends used to steal butter from the houses in Vrindavan. To save their curd and butter from Sri Krishna and his friends, women used to keep it in a pot and hung it from the ceiling of their houses so that it could not be easily reached. But Krishna and his friends used to form a human pyramid and easily steal the milk products. Taking inspiration from this ‘leela’ divine play of Lord Krishna, today the same challenge is posed before youngsters in the form of Dahi Handi by women.

How is Dahi Handi Performed?

The Dahi Handi pot which is hung at a considerable height is an open challenge to the young boys in the area. The pot contains Dahi poha – a mixture of beaten rice (poha), curd, sugar, and pickle. The pot is also decorated with flowers and currency notes. The young boys in the region form human pyramids, sometimes reaching up to eleven stories, to reach the pot.

Women and girls won’t allow the young boys to get the Dahi Handi pot easily; they splash water on the boys and try to break the pyramids.

Today, Dahi Handi is a major event in major cities and towns in Maharashtra and involves a lot of money and large crowds. The prize for breaking the Dahi Handi pot ranges from 1000 Rupees to 2 million rupees.