Dahi Handi

Setting up a low Dahi Handi.
Not much prize money on offer here!

Dahi Handi' is an Indian festival held on the birthday of Lord Shri Krishna and is peculiar to Maharashtra. According to Hindu's, during the reign of Krishna's maternal uncle King Kaunsa, villagers were forced to sell all milk products to the Kings village.  Krishna and his childhood friends would form human pyramids to break the clay pots containing curd in order to steal the contents. 

The prize!

Now that dairy products are more readily available in modern India, teams referred to as Govinda's compete to form human pyramids to break clay pots (Handi's) containing curd (Dahi) or milk, butter, fruit or water. 

Building the foundation of the pyramid

In addition to the dubious distinction of being covered in curd, teams that are able to break the pot can win a prize offered by local organisation or political parties.  The prized money ranges from small under US$ 50 to US$ 50,000 for high Dahi Handis and teams are given three attempts to break the pot.  

In the words of Maxwell Smart
"Missed it by that much"

Govinda's are also encouraged with smaller prizes if they can build their pyramid to a certain number of layers but are unable to reach the Dahi Handi. In 2012, prizes money was approximately Rs 25 lakh (US$ 38K) to the Govinda that forms 10 layers while Rs 11 lakh (US$ 17k) and 1 lakh (US$ 1.5) will be given to Govinda forming nine and eight layers. Smaller amounts are negotiated on the spot depending on the number of layers.

My yellow team got to six layers

Needless to say when an unskilled labourer earns around three dollars per day U.S., Govinda's have no problems finding willing recruits. That said the money is pretty safe as, according to the Guinness World Record and the Limca Book of Records the highest human pyramid was 9-tier or layers (43.79 feet tall) at the Dahi Handi event held in the Thane suburb of Mumbai in 2012.

Who has the Guiness Book of Records
for truck cramming?

The Govinda's travel around in trucks along with a swarm of motorcycles scouting out the various Dahi Handi's and are often sponsored by local politicians. The roaming groups of young men in team uniforms is very colorful but it also makes for traffic chaos as, in addition to the additional traffic, the Dahi Handi's are also set up on the roads. 

A water break for team yellow

I was on the way to the airport to fly to Beijing but I wanted to get a bit of Dahi Handi madness in before I left. We trailed the yellow team to a Dahi Handi in Khar East and I took some time to join the crowd. As the only only onlooker in a shirt and tie combined with the fact that I was the only foreigner, I was the subject of some interest. Despite the political overtones, the atmosphere was festive with all the people in the neighborhood encouraging the Govindas.

Poised ready to jump clear of the carnage.
I don't think he is adding to the structural
 integrity of the pyramid

For the people on top of the pyramid, frequently small children in flimsy foam helmets, they are risking life and limb.  The Indian newspapers happily reported that only the Govinda's only suffered 2 dead from road accidents and 365 people were injured. Apart from the dead, the newspapers reported that most are expected to make a full recovery