Mumbai: Mumbai MP Poonam Mahajan has written a letter to Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi and demanded banning children under 12 years of age from participating in ‘Dahi Handi' celebrations.
Janmaashtami, popularly known as ‘Dahi Handi' in Mumbai, is celebrated with enormous zeal and enthusiasm across the nation. The ‘handi' is a clay pot filled with buttermilk. It is positioned at a convenient height. ‘Govindas' (groups of youngsters) form pyramids to burst ‘dahi handis' in honour of Lord Krishna. The topmost person breaks the ‘handi' by hitting it with a coconut.
Often times, the pyramids fail to get the balance and come crashing down resulting into injuries and deaths.
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Friday suggested the state government to regulate the height of human pyramids during Janmashtami festival.
The festival will be celebrated on August 18 this year.
