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At Dahi Handi Festival In Maharashtra This Year, Height And Age No Bar

This Year, Height And Age No Bar At Dahi Handi Festival In Maharashtra
Hindu devotees form a human pyramid during the 'Dahi-handi' (curd pot) festival to celebrate Janmashtami - the birthday of Hindu God Lord Krishna in Amravati , Maharashtra ,India 10- August-2012 .
CR Shelare via Getty Images
Hindu devotees form a human pyramid during the 'Dahi-handi' (curd pot) festival to celebrate Janmashtami - the birthday of Hindu God Lord Krishna in Amravati , Maharashtra ,India 10- August-2012 .

Last year, a selfie of people celebrating the Dahi Handi festival in Mumbai was hailed as the 'selfie of the year.' The picture may have broken many records on social media, by fitting in more people in the frame than even Ellen DeGeneres' epic Oscar selfie, but it really wasn't the safest thing to do.

This year, you will probably witness more such selfies with more people in the frame.

Despite reports of several accidents every year in these festivals, the Maharashtra government has now allowed children above 12 years of age to be part of teams which form the celebratory human pyramids, reports Mumbai Mirror.

According to the report, the state government has given into pressure from dahi handi mandals, just ahead of the upcoming civic elections.

The government has also said that there will be no restrictions on the height of these pyramids.

Dahi Handi, a popular Marathi ritual during the festival of Gokulashtami (that marks Lord Krishna's birthday) makes for an incredible sight. To commemorate the god's love for butter, throngs of men dressed in bright colours form a human pyramid to break an earthen pot filled with buttermilk that hangs several feet off the ground. Sometimes, this can go up to 40 feet.

In 2014, A Bombay High Court order had imposed a maximum height of 20 feet for the hanging of the dahi handis. The court had also restricted minors from taking part in such events.

However, the Supreme Court in 2014 stayed the ruling holding that courts should not interfere with cultural traditions.

Last year, despite local police circulars asking 'Govindas' to follow safety precautions and wear helmets and safety belts, no one really followed it. One person died and as many as 129 people were injured in Mumbai during the celebrations.

In 2014, 360 'Govindas' were reportedly injured.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.