Colourful festivites in Mumbai during 'Dahi Handi' celebrations

The birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami, was marked by great fervour and gaiety in Mumbai as people went to town with their ‘dahi handi’ celebrations.

The ‘dahi handi’ ritual is part of the Janmashtami festival in Maharashtra, where youngsters (called ‘Govindas’) dress up in colourful attire and stand on top of each other to make a human pyramid, in an attempt to break a pot filled with curd or butter that is suspended from a height. This is done as a homage to Lord Krishna, who is fondly known as ‘Makhan Chor’ for his love of butter as a child.

Areas such as Dadar, Worli, Wadala, Ghatkopar, Andheri, Lokhandwala, Borivali, Kandivali, Jogeshwari, Mulund and Vile Parle were a hotspot of ‘dahi handi’, with even female ‘Govindas’ hitting the streets in large numbers to break ‘dahi handis’.

Here are some pictures of the celebrations:

(Images: Yahoo India/Stringer)

(Image Credits: Yahoo India/Stringer)