Janmashtami 2020: The grim shadow of COVID-19 was seen on Dahi Handi festivities in Mumbai and different elements of Maharashtra on Wednesday as organisers opted for low-key celebrations not like previous years.
Adhering to the social distancing tips, Dahi Handi mandals or teams didn’t type human pyramids this yr to mark the start of Lord Krishna. As a substitute, they had been finishing up well being and social welfare drives, like blood donation camps and elimination of plastic.
In earlier years, Dahi Handi was once celebrated with nice fervour in elements of Maharashtra, significantly in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane, the place non secular establishments, political leaders and Govinda mandals, comprising kids wearing vibrant apparel and took half within the festivities.
Organisers of Dahi Handi earlier introduced enormous money rewards to teams, which succeeded in making the multi-tier human pyramids and breaking the Dahi Handis or earthen pitchers containing curd or buttermilk. This yr, Dahi Handis had been damaged in a symbolic method with these concerned sustaining social distance and sporting masks.
Janmashtami 2020 picture: Dahi Handi celebrations cancelled in Mumbai. Small shopkeepers undergo losses
Ram Kadam, BJP MLA from Ghatkopar mentioned, in regular occasions, his mandal’s Dahi Handi celebration noticed 5 to 6 lakh footfalls. “Ours was the largest Dahi Handi celebration in India. However this yr, we celebrated in a quite simple method, observing social distance amid the COVID-19 disaster. No human pyramid was fashioned. A toddler climbed atop a desk and broke Dahi Handi simply as a ritual,” the BJP chief mentioned, including that, “this yr, we gave a message of boycotting Chinese language merchandise and dealing in direction of an aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) India.”
Bala Padalkar, chief of Dahi Handi Utsav Samanvay Samiti, an umbrella physique of over 950 teams within the state, instructed information company PTI that the passion was not the identical this yr and members of assorted mandals agreed to not journey within the metropolis to interrupt Dahi Handis. As a substitute, they carried out puja in their very own areas with out forming human pyramids, he mentioned.
Sandeep Dhawale, coach of the city-based Jai Jawan Govinda Pathak (squad), identified for forming excessive human pyramids, mentioned sustaining social distance was the necessity of the hour and celebrating the competition in a easy method was within the curiosity of everybody’s well being. His mandal has undertaken plastic-free and clear Mumbai drive, to mark the competition, whereas following the social distancing guidelines. We’re amassing plastic and recycling it. The fund raised by the exercise can be used for the schooling of the needy, Mr Dhawale mentioned.
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