Boy dies in Dahi Handi celebrations; 212 Govindas injured in Mumbai, Thane

Dahi Handi celebrations across Maharashtra were marred by tragedy as two people, including a seven-year-old boy, died in separate accidents, while at least 212 ‘Govindas’ were injured during festivities in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane, officials said on Saturday.

The seven-year-old boy died in Mumbai after a brick column collapsed on him during an informal Dahi Handi celebration, while a woman was crushed to death in Pune after a temporary iron structure supporting loudspeakers collapsed.

Dahi Handi, an integral part of Janmashtami celebrations marking the birth of Lord Krishna, sees teams of ‘Govindas’ form multi-tier human pyramids to break clay pots filled with curd suspended high above the ground.

The Mumbai tragedy occurred around 3 pm at Ekta Welfare Society in Chikuwadi, Malvani, where a group of children had organised a Dahi Handi celebration on their own.

According to officials, one end of the rope holding the handi had been tied to a tree, while the other was secured to a brick column supporting a ground-floor structure. As the children attempted to break the pot, the column suddenly gave way.

Seven-year-old Rudra Kadam was buried under the debris and suffered critical head injuries. Bystanders pulled him out and rushed him to Malvani General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Ward staff and police personnel were deployed following the incident.

In Pune, Salma Salauddin Pathan, a resident of Old Sangavi in Pimpri Chinchwad, died after a temporary iron structure collapsed on her following a Dahi Handi event on Friday night.

Police said the structure had been erected to support a stack of loudspeakers during an event organised by Vighnaharta Mandal. Workers were dismantling it after the celebrations when a heavy section fell on Pathan.

She suffered a serious head injury and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Pathan's son was an office-bearer of the organising mandal. Police said the family declined to lodge a complaint against the organisers and requested that a case not be registered suo motu. An accidental death report has been filed, and police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse.

The incident came amid an ongoing debate in Pune over the use of high-decibel sound systems during festivals.

The celebrations also resulted in hundreds of injuries among Govindas attempting to form human pyramids.

In Mumbai, 168 Govindas were injured, according to data from government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run hospitals available until 6 pm.

Of them, 29 were admitted to hospitals, 81 remained under treatment and 58 were discharged.

KEM Hospital in Parel reported the highest number of injured Govindas at 33, followed by Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar with 20 and Nair Hospital in Bombay Central with 17.

In neighbouring Thane, 44 Govindas were admitted to hospitals with injuries, taking the combined number of reported injuries in the two cities to 212.

Dahi Handi events organised by political groups across Mumbai and surrounding areas have grown into major public spectacles, featuring large cash prizes, celebrities and entertainment programmes.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis visited celebrations in Worli, Dadar and Ghatkopar and symbolically broke a handi in Worli. He urged young people to stay away from addiction and said the festival should contribute to Maharashtra's ‘Drug-Free Maharashtra’ campaign.

Fadnavis also described Dahi Handi as more than a festival, saying it reflects Maharashtra's traditions, the courage of its youth and the importance of teamwork.

In Thane, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde stressed that safety should take precedence over attempts to set records with taller human pyramids.

“Break the pot, but protect life,” Shinde said at the large Dahi Handi celebration at Tembhi Naka, reminding Govindas that their families were waiting for them at home.

Mumbai Police deployed additional personnel across the city, particularly in sensitive areas, as large crowds gathered for the celebrations.

The BMC had prepared more than 100 beds at civic hospitals across Mumbai and its suburbs for treating injured Govindas. Health officers and medical staff were deployed in three shifts, with hospitals instructed to maintain adequate supplies of medicines, injections and surgical materials.

Meanwhile, Pune also saw a different approach to the festivities amid concerns over loud music. Thirty-one prominent Ganapati mandals in the city came together to celebrate a ‘DJ-free’ Dahi Handi, as the debate over high-decibel sound systems continues ahead of the upcoming Ganeshotsav.

Despite the festive spirit and elaborate celebrations across Maharashtra, the deaths and large number of injuries have once again brought the safety risks surrounding Dahi Handi events into sharp focus.

With PTI inputs