Latest news with #GovindaPathaks
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Watch: Konkan Nagar Govinda Pathak Creates 10-Level Human Pyramid in Thane, Sets Dahi Handi Record
Last Updated: As the final layer of the pyramid rose to the top, the crowd erupted in cheers, witnessing what is now the tallest formation. Maharashtra is celebrating the festival of Krishna Janmashtami with great enthusiasm. Dahi Handi events have been organised at several places, with political leaders and renowned personalities being a part of the event. Amid celebrations, the new Konkan Nagar Govinda Pathak from Jogeshwari set a new benchmark at this year's Dahi Handi celebrations in Thane. Performing at the popular Pratap Sarnaik Dahi Handi event, the team built a 10-level human pyramid, breaking the previous record of nine levels held by the Jai Jawan group. Each year, as Janmashtami approaches, the air in Maharashtra becomes electric with excitement. Dahi Handi, one of the state's most iconic and physically demanding celebrations, transforms towns and cities into grand stages of devotion and display. Rooted in the legend of Lord Krishna's love for butter, the festival sees hundreds of Govinda Pathaks (teams of participants) take to the streets, forming towering human pyramids to reach and break an earthen pot (handi) suspended several meters above the ground. In cities like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nashik, Dahi Handi has grown from a local tradition to a full-fledged spectacle. Handis are often strung across narrow lanes or towering cranes, while local residents and tourists pack every corner to witness the spectacle. Over the years, the event has also taken on a competitive and commercial edge, with prize money, sponsorships, and media coverage making it a high-stakes affair for Govinda groups. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Govind aala re! On Dahi Handi, Mumbai's Govinda pathaks talk safety and precaution in the face of adventure
Dahi, makhan and a whole load of fun, that's how Mumbaikars celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. A key aspect of Janmashtami is the Dahi Handi celebrations that take place across the city, with Govinda pathaks aiming to break earthen pots and collect the winnings. They recreate Lord Krishna's childhood, where he and his friends stole makhan and dahi by creating human pyramids to reach the pots, which gave it its name 'Dahi Handi'. While there is a rush of excitement, it carries a streak of danger, as seen recently when 11-year-old Mahesh Jadhav fell to his death during a practise session in Dahisar. Across Mumbai, Govinda Pathaks will compete to try and break the Dahi Handi and bag the winning title (Anshuman Poyrekar/ HT) Dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha, students in a school in Dadar celebrated the festival of Janmashtami by partaking in Dahi Handi ceremony(BHUSHAN KOYANDE/HT) With risks part and parcel of this annual activity, the pathaks are ensuring they keep safety at the fore when they test the boundaries to win the title. Suryakant Madhavi, coach of the Airoli Koliwada Govinda Pathak, says, 'We've been practising for this day since Guru Purnima (July 10). We practise every day, focusing on strategy and formation, while also working out for strength and agility. The government gives the teams life insurance, and everyone, especially those who climb the highest, wears a helmet, has ropes for safety, and knee and elbow pads, too.' The Parle Sports Club Mahila Govinda team tasted a major win on Thursday as they became the first women's team to build a seven-tier human pyramid(instagram) On the other hand, one of the city's most popular pathaks, the Jai Jawan Govinda Pathak, who are based in Jogeshwari East and has a collective team of 700-1,000 members, has been putting in the work for the last four months, shares committee member Akash Kasare. 'We have people who come from all walks of life, including businessmen to politicians to MBA graduates, DJs and students. We practise from 9 pm every day, with a focus on stretching and strength training. As we get closer to the day, we spend more time on getting our formations right.' Last year, the team created a Guinness World Record by forming a nine-tier human pyramid. Being safe is very important while practising, and Prabhakar Atmaram Pashte, who is a member of Nagpur's Nav Maharashtra Krida Mandal, and recently participated in the Pro Govinda League, shares, 'The lighter the person, the higher they climb in the pyramids. We use a foam mat during practise sessions and mouth guards. The organisers provide safety belts, so if anyone fall, they are caught by the ropes and can be safely brought down.' There are also medical personnel and ambulances on call.
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Govinda Pathak Culture 2025: Who They Are And Their Dahi Handi Janmashtami Traditions
Dahi Handi 2025 Celebrations: Streets come alive with chants, music, and the daring human pyramids built by spirited groups known as Govinda Pathaks during Dahi Handi. Dahi Handi 2025 Celebrations: The vibrant festival of Dahi Handi, celebrated with great zeal during Janmashtami, marks one of Mumbai's most awaited cultural spectacles. Also known as Gopalakala in Maharashtra, Dahi Handi is celebrated on the next day of Krishna Janmashtami in the cities of Maharashtra and Gujarat. 'Dahi' translates to 'the curd', and 'handi' means 'earthen pot used to process and store milk products'. As the city gears up for another Janmashtami on August 16, the streets will come alive with chants, music, and the daring human pyramids built by spirited groups known as Govinda Pathaks. But who exactly are these Govindas, and what is this tradition? The Dahi Handi celebration recreates the childhood adventures of Lord Krishna. In his childhood, young Krishna was so fond of butter that he used to steal it from earthen pots from neighbourhood homes. To keep them out of reach, they started hanging milk products from the ceiling like a chandelier. But Krishna, being the naughty one, devised the idea of forming a human pyramid. He used to climb atop his folks and break the hanging pot. Since then, this mythology has come alive as Govinda Pathaks. Every year, this event from the life of Lord Krishna is played by the young troop of boys and girls during Janmashtami. Govinda Pathak: Who They Are Govinda Pathaks (also known as Govindas) are dedicated teams of performers who participate in the celebrated Dahi Handi festival. Boys and girls form complex human pyramids to break suspended earthen pots of curd, milk, butter, and nuts, symbolising young Lord Krishna's playful activities. Govinda Pathak: What They Do For the Govindas, Dahi Handi is more than tradition. Teams train together for weeks, focusing on core strength, balance drills, and fall safety. The goal? Climb atop teammates in a tiered human pyramid, and smash the handi in a feat of strength, unity, balance, and sheer courage. In recent years, female Govinda Pathaks and even visually impaired groups have participated, bringing new meaning and inclusivity to the sport. Mumbai's first visually impaired Govinda pathak, trained by the Nayan Foundation, was founded in 2010. The foundation is breaking barriers and bringing joy into the lives of visually impaired youth through adventure, community, and celebration. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Mumbai gears up for Dahi Handi, when human pyramids take over the streets
This August, Mumbai's streets will once again reverberate with 'Govinda aala re' as Dahi Handi a festival where people build human pyramids is celebrated. What started as a simple tradition has turned into a fiercely contested sport, with teams called Govinda Pathaks pushing hard to break records and showing off their strength, agility and teamwork. Jai Jawan Govinda Pathak, a Jogeshwari-based team, is at the forefront of it all having set a Guinness World Records for the tallest human pyramid in 2012. Consisting of nine levels, it stood at an astonishing 44 ft. 'Jogeshwari East, where we live, had earned a bad reputation after the 1993 Mumbai riots. No one wanted to buy a home here and people hesitated to recruit our boys for jobs. Even rickshaw wallahs wouldn't come here. In 2000, I set up Jai Jawan Govinda Pathak to keep the boys engaged in fitness-related activities and away from bad influences,' says Sandeep Dhawale, founder and coach of the team. What started with 15 boys has now grown to a team of 540, which includes a few girls who scale to the top. The participants themselves have shifted dramatically, from unemployed youth to professionals such as bankers, chartered accountants, lawyers, engineers and even a doctor. A sports management graduate handles the social media account for the team. The mud floor for practise has given way to mattresses and the prize money range from Rs 15 to 51 lakh. Dahi Handi is celebrated the day after Krishna Janmashtami, also known as Gokulashtami, which marks the birth of Krishna. This year, it falls on August 15. Young Krishna's fondness for butter and curd led him to playfully pilfer these items from homes in Vrindavan and Gokul. Hence, women began to suspend curd pots from the ceilings. However, Krishna and his friends came up with a clever plan: they built a human pyramid, to reach the pot. Dahi Handi celebrates this fun, mischievous episode from Krishna's life. In recent times, Dahi Handi has evolved into a competitive sport, particularly in Mumbai's Marathi-dominated areas such as Dadar, Lalbaug, Parel, Worli, Bhandup, Mulund, Andheri and Goregaon. Teams called Govindas, create towering human pyramids. Each level of the pyramid is called a 'thar'. The goal is to reach and break the earthen pot filled with dahi (curd), hung at a significant height. As the team moves closer to the pot, drum beats and Bollywood songs fill the air, fuelling excitement amongst onlookers. Inch by inch, the human pyramid rises, culminating in the youngest Govinda ascending its peak to reach the handi. The task is made more challenging as women, acting as the female cowherds from the story, throw water at the Govindas to stop the pyramid from being formed. Over the past few years, Dahi Handi celebrations in Mumbai and surrounding areas such as Thane, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai and Panvel have increased in popularity. A big part of it is the strong backing from political parties. This, combined with hefty prize money, celebrity appearances and live entertainment draws in massive crowd and many Govinda teams. 'Local politicians have helped keep these traditional festivals alive. Whether it is Ganesh Utsav, Navratri or Dahi Handi,' says Sandeep, who spearheads the practise sessions that begin almost three months in advance. This has significantly lowered the number of injuries. 'Apart from fitness and regular practise, this sport is largely based on trust. We trust the people we climb on to stay firm. And when we fall we trust that there will be hundreds of hands to catch us,' he adds. At Jai Jawan, it's 15-year-old Sulaksha More who scales the top. The team's pyramid skills have also been featured in film such as S.S. Rajamouli's RRR and Mohanlal-starrer Malayalam film Kayamkulam Kochunni. In 2022, an IPL-style franchise model 'Pro Govinda' was adopted for Dahi Handi. Not surprisingly, Jai Jawan won the championship in 2023, and again in 2024, winning a prize money of Rs. 25 lakhs both years. The sport has become more about strategy — placing the right person in the right place so as to create the perfect balance.
