Youth below 18 years cannot participate in Dahi Handi festival: SC

The Supreme Court today said that youth below 18 years of age cannot participate in the Dahi Handi ritual, part of the Janmashtami festival, in Maharashtra and the height of the human pyramid for it cannot exceed 20 feet, a limit fixed by the Bombay High Court. 

Every year the traditional ‘Dahi Handi’ festival celebrate on the occasion of Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated across Maharashtra. It's a grand affair especially in Mumbai with hundreds of young ‘Govindas’ showing up in full strength to perform the ritual of forming a human pyramid to reach the Dahi



Handi. 

But this year, City Dahi Handi Mandals have got disappointed over Supreme Court's today's verdict on height restrictions and have threatened to discontinue the event. According to them, this limitation will restrict the number of tiers to four and in Mumbai; big events hosted by politicians see seven or more tiers. 

However, Ashish Shelar, BJP Mumbai Unit chief who had earlier backed the age group of 12-18 years for participation in the festival, today called for celebrating 'dahi handi' with traditional fervour but in accordance with the guidelines laid down by Supreme Court.