Dahi Handi celebrations to mark Krishna Janmashtami got off to a colourful start in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra on Thursday, with some ‘mandals’ allegedly flouting the 20-foot ceiling for human pyramids mandated by the Supreme Court.
The apex court had on Wednesday made it clear that no human pyramid could cross 20 feet in height in the entire state of Maharashtra.
However, in adjoining Thane district, a “Dahi Handi” was strung up at 49 feet this morning, more than double the height allowed by the Supreme Court.
The organiser is a worker of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Thackeray had told workers of his party that the festival, which celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, should be observed “the way it’s meant to be.”
In suburban Dadar here, some Dahi Handi mandal members lay on ground and performed a ‘sleeping pyramid’ exceeding the court norm of 20 feet.
While another mandal used a ladder to break the traditional ‘pot’ and also displayed a black flag apparently to protest against the SC ruling on the festival.
A fresh plea was filed in the apex court by Jai Jawan Krida Mandal Govinda Pathak in a last ditch attempt to get over the restriction.
(With inputs from PTI)
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