Krishna Janmashtami 2022: Govinda Aala Re! What is the significance of Dahi Handi

New Delhi, Aug 16: The Dahi Handi festival symbolises the cheerful spirit of Lord Krishna's times at Nanda Gokul and the way he led the community of young lads towards a higher spiritual pursuit, at the same time, along with their games, in the lap of nature.

The Gopal Kala or Dahi Handi is much more than a mundane celebration that arrives when it is due, it is a cultural imprint of bygone times on the psyche of Maharashtrians. It celebrates a cultural epoch that is revisited and relived on a grand scale. One of the biggest festivals that a true Maharashtrian identifies himself with, on the Janmashtami of the playful Bal Krishna. The strains of 'Govinda Ala re!' harmoniously combined with the spirit of the Dahi Handi, make it exceedingly memorable. Read on to know more on this day.

In Gujarat and Dwarka, dahi handi is called Makhan Handi - an earthen pot filled with yogurt, ghee, almonds and nuts. It is called Uriadi in Tamil Nadu.

The Significance of Janmashtami

Janmashtami is celebrated on the eighth day of the Hindu month of Shravan as the birthday of Lord Krishna, considered Lord Vishnu's incarnation. Devotees fast and pray at midnight, the time when the Lord was born.

According to Hindu mythology, Krishna and his friends used to form human pyramids to break pots hung from the ceilings of neighbourhood houses, in order to steal curd and butter in Vrindavan.

How it is celebrated?

With nearly 1,000 mandals and Govinda brigades, Mumbai is one of the biggest centres for 'Dahi Handi' celebrations on Janmashtami. On this day, youngsters, called govindas, attempt to break the dahi handi by forming a human pyramids.

The Dahi Handi [clay pot] s is hung about 20-30 feet high in the air using a rope that has silver coins tied along the length of the rope. These are also considered to be the prizes that the winners receive after winning the event. After forming the human pyramid, the person on the top tries to break the Dahi Handi.

Onlookers keep splashing water on the participants to deter them. Once the Dahi Handi is broken into pieces, the prize is given away to the winners along with the pieces of the broken handi. Devotees firmly believe that the pieces of the handi keep negative energies away. People keep screeching Govinda ala re throughout the game.