To ease traffic congestion in Pune, 35 prominent mandals came together to organise a single Dahi Handi event at Lal Mahal Chowk near Shaniwar Wada. This coordinated celebration aimed to reduce disruptions and enhance traffic flow during peak hours. Participating mandals, including the Shrimant Bhau Rangari Ganapati Trust and Shri Tambdi Jogeshwari Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal, opted to celebrate collectively to avoid traffic jams in the city’s central region.
Puneet Balan, chairman of the Bhausaheb Rangari Ganapati temple, led the initiative with the goal of reducing traffic congestion and noise pollution. He expressed his gratitude to all the Govindas who took part in this first-ever joint Dahi Handi event in Pune.
“I am grateful to all the Govinda’s that participated in this first-ever joint Dahi Handi organised in Pune city. We are deeply grateful to the people of Pune who enthusiastically attended and participated in this Dahi Handi. The police administration helped and ensured everyone’s safety, the event was conducted smoothly and a Pune-based Govinda team named Shivtej broke the Dahi Handi,” Balan said.
The event was vibrant showcase of unity and festive spirit. Dahi Handis decorated with flowers were set up, accompanied by traditional drumbeats and popular Bollywood songs to maintain high enthusiasm. Earlier on Tuesday, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported that 106 Govindas were injured during Dahi Handi celebrations for Krishna Janmashtami.
Last year, Dahi Handi celebrations saw 195 Govindas injured in various incidents. The BMC noted that 18 of these were hospitalised while the remaining 177 were treated and discharged.
Dahi Handi is a major cultural event where an earthen pot filled with curd, butter, and other dairy products is hung at a height. Participants form a human pyramid to reach and break the pot. This tradition reflects Lord Krishna’s playful nature, his fondness for butter and curd, and his childhood act of eating Dahi hung high. Celebrated on the eighth day of the month of Bhadra according to the Hindu calendar, the festival usually falls in August or September. Janmashtami is marked by prayers to Lord Krishna, with beautifully decorated swings, dance and music performances, and the Dahi Handi competition.