Dahi Handi 2024: Date, Timing, Significance, and Celebrations Explained

Dahi Handi

Dahi Handi 2024: Dahi Handi is an annual Hindu festival, which is celebrated in its different forms throughout the territory of India. Among them the tradition is followed in a much larger scale in the states of Maharashtra and Goa.

Meaning literally Festival of Dolls or Gopalakala or Utlotsavam, it is celebrated the very next day of Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna. Be informed about Dahi Handi, its date of occurrence, significance, as well as festivals.

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Dahi Handi 2024 Date and timings

This year Dahi Handi will be celebrated on Tuesday, August 27.

Ashtami Tithi Begins - 3:39 am on August 26

Ashtami Tithi Ends - 2:19 am on August 27

Dahi Handi 2024 Significance

The Dahi Handi festivals are the celebrations of childhood of Lord Krishna. It is believed that Bal Krishna was naughty child who particularly enjoyed curd (dahi) and butter (makhan). When he was young and with his friends, they attempted to snatch dahi and makhan from the neighbouring homes.

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The village women began to hang the dahi and makhan pots on the ceiling out of the reach of Lord Krishna and his gang. However, Krishna and his friends devised a clever solution: they had to make a human pyramid so as to reach the pots which they could not reach due to the size of their hands. Dahi Handi is celebrated in order to mark this particular episodes of Bal Gopal’s early day’s play.

Dahi Handi 2024 Celebrations

Handi is one of the most popular cultural sports in the County during the celebration of the Krishna Janmashtami. It has evolved to become a competitive event that is practiced at a commercial level in Maharashtra.

Dahi means curd, Handi on the other hand means an earthen pot. In the occasion of Dahi Handi, a clay pot of milk products such as milk, curd or butter is taken to be hung at high altitude of the building, maybe several floors up.

Then, the groups named as Govindas humanly construct the Rangoli, and climb up to ‘Handi’ which is hanged in the mid-air to break it. There we have them trying to break the Handi with such a chant “Govinda Aala Re!”

During the game, the teams try to accomplish the challenge and are doused with water or slippery liquids to make it harder. Over the period of the time, the cash rewards for the winning teams have been even as high as up to one crore rupees.

The celebrations, therefore, challenge Govindas’s stamina and camaraderie while at the same time, instilling in all the zest reminiscent of Lord Krishna.

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