This year, Dahi Handi falls on Tuesday, August 27, while Janmashtami is on Monday, August 26. Here’s everything you need to know about this auspicious occasion.
Dahi Handi is a popular event celebrated annually across the country. The tradition is observed annually on the larger scale in Maharashtra and Goa. It is observed the day after Krishna Janmashtami, also known as Gokulashtamim, which marks the birth of Lord Krishna. The occasion is also referred to as Gopalakala in Maharashtra.
Dahi Handi 2024: Date And Timings
This year, Dahi Handi falls on Tuesday, August 27, while Janmashtami is on Monday, August 26.
- Ashtami Tithi Begins – 3:39 am on August 26
- Ashtami Tithi Ends – 2:19 am on August 27
Dahi Handi 2024: History And Significance
The Dahi Handi celebration commemorates an event from the childhood of Lord Krishna. As per Hindu beliefs, young Krishna used to have great fondness for curd an butter. As he grew, his love for curd and butter only increased and mischievously used to steal them from his neighborhood homes.
To protect their milk products, the women of the village began hanging pots of curd from the ceilings, hoping to keep them out of Krishna’s reach. However, Krishna and his friends devised a clever solution, they used to form a human pyramid to reach the pots and grasp curd and milk. Dahi Handi celebrates this playful act from Bal Gopal’s childhood.
Dahi Handi 2024: Celebrations
Dahi Handi is one of the most significant cultural sports celebrated in India around the auspicious occasion of Krishna Janmashtami. It has transformed into a competitive sport that is done on a massive scale in Maharashtra. During the celebrations, an earthen pot is filled with milk, curd, butter or other products and then hung several storeys above the ground. Teams, who refer to themselves as Govindas, form human pyramids to reach and break the Handi, which is suspended in the air. As they strive to break Handi, the streets resonated with the chant ‘Govinda Aala Re!’
These celebrations not only test one’s physical strength and teamwork but also the lively spirt towards Lord Krishna.