Dahi Handi fest draws millions

Mumbai: Millions of Mumbaikars trooped on to roads here Monday to celebrate the Dahi Handi festival.

Amidst tight security, teams of 'Govindas' went around from one place to another, singing, dancing, throwing colour and building human pyramids for the prize hanging many metres above.

One Govinda team managed to build an eight-tier pyramid at the Sankalp Pratishthan in Worli, organised by Minister of State for Housing Sachin Ahir.

Another succeeded in building a nine-tier pyramid in Borivli in northwest Mumbai.

The tone for the day's festivities was set when the first 'handi' was cracked at Madhav Wadi in Dadar amidst loud cheers.

Despite stringent safety measures by most mandals, at least 20 Govindas were injured after falling from tall human pyramids, ranging from five to eight tiers, at various Dahi Handi events.

At many places, organisers had for the first time arranged safety belts attached to cranes which saved the Govinda at the topmost tier from falling when the human pyramids collapsed.

This year, mega-prizes running into Rs.1 crore and above were conspicuously missing and replaced by much smaller amounts, ranging from Rs.25,000 to a little over Rs.1 lakh by various organisations.

17 injured
Mumbai: At least 17 people were injured, including one seriously, while forming human pyramids during the 'Dahi Handi' celebrations here on Monday, officials said. Some of the injured were admitted to Sion and KEM hospitals. "Twelve people were brought who got injured due to a fall while playing 'Dahi Handi'. We have admitted them and kept them under evaluation," KEM hospital's Dean Dr Shubhangi Parkar said.