Amid political churning, Dahi Handi festivities to be different

Amid political churning in Maharashtra, the Dahi Handi festivities are going to be unique in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as the festival returns with a bang after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Coinciding with Krishna Janmashtami celebrations, the Dahi Handi festival will be held on Friday, during which revellers will form large human pyramids to scale tall heights and break earthen pots filled with curd, milk and butter - the favourites of Lord Krishna.

With all nine MMR municipal corporations - Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayander, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Ulhasnagar and Panvel - set to go to the polls in the next few months, the festival has taken on a political colour of sorts.

There are an estimated 800 to 1,000 Dahi Handi mandals in the MMR comprising the twin districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban as well as parts of Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts. Commoners will rub shoulders with politicians and celebrities for the events - and crores of rupees are at stake with several top companies sponsoring the festivities.

Politics have always had an influence on the festival with leading politicians organising it, extending sponsorship or donations and putting up huge banners. T-shirts with photos of leaders and their organisations are very common also.

With the Shiv Sena divided into two factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde respectively, the BJP has now become the focal point of state politics. The NCP and the Congress have also been pushed to the background. This next Dahi Handi is going to be the most important one in recent times.

To begin with, Shinde has declared a public holiday for Dahi Handi.

The BJP will hold a mega Dahi Handi festival at Jamboree Maidan in Worli, which is the constituency of Yuva Sena President Aaditya Thackeray. Jamboree Maidan is known for its Janmashtami bash promoted by Sachin Ahir, a Shiv Sena leader - who was earlier with the NCP - and hosted by the Shree Sankalp Pratishthan Charitable Trust.

This time around, however, the BJP had booked the venue in advance - and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to visit the event. "We are holding over 300 Dahi Handi festivals in the city," said Ashish Shelar, Mumbai BJP president. Ahir and the Shiv Sena plan to hold their festivities in the neighbouring Worli Naka area.

The Shiv Sena’s youth wing, the Yuva Sena, will hold the 'Nishta Dahi Handi' - a celebration of loyalty - near the Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar.