Entertainment News | Dahi Handi: Girls Dressed in Red Sarees Form Human Pyramid, Deliver Message of Women Empowerment

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 31 (ANI): As the festive spirit of Krishna Janmashtami grips Maharashtra, young girls in red sarees are stepping up to the challenge, training hard to form human pyramids and break the traditional handi. Their performance combines physical strength, teamwork and devotion with a powerful message of women's empowerment.

The girls are part of the Nirbhaya Mahila Govinda Pathak. Around 60 students participated in the team, which has been practising for nearly a month to prepare for the Dahi Handi celebrations. This year, the girls have adopted a traditional Lakshmi-inspired look, with the performance aimed at highlighting the strength and determination of women.

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They formed a human pyramid, with safety remaining a key focus during the training sessions. Protective headgear is provided to the participant at the top, while belts and towels are used to help the girls maintain balance and support one another.

Chief Trainer Mahesh Navale said the team wants to preserve the traditional character of Dahi Handi while spreading awareness about safety.

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"We make the girls dance. We want to give a message of traditional Dahi Handi to society. At the same time, it is important to do this with safety," Navale said.

Madhuri Verma, a member of the girls' team, said the participants have been practising regularly and are determined to demonstrate that girls can take on challenges traditionally associated with men.

"We are a girls' team. We have done the Lakshmi look and we practise very well. We keep it safe. We make four thaar," Verma said.

Verma also stressed the message of equality that the team wants to convey through its performance.

"Girls are not less than anyone. Girls can do everything on their own," she said.

The Lakshmi-inspired red saree look is part of the team's effort to give its Dahi Handi performance a distinct cultural and social theme. The participants said they adopt different get-ups every year to convey different messages through the festival.

Sakshi Yadav, another member of the team, said this year's presentation has been designed around women's empowerment.

"Our get-up shows women's empowerment. Women cannot live in fear. They are not less than men. They can do everything without fear and move forward," Yadav said.

The girls also rely on each other during training, helping one another understand where to place their feet, how to hold the belts and how to maintain balance while forming the human pyramid.

"We have been given this belt and towel. We have been tied up so that we can protect each other. The students help each other. If someone does not know where to put their feet or how to hold the belt, they help and guide each other," Yadav said.

One of the major cultural activities, Dahi Handi is celebrated by filling an earthen pot with curd, butter and other milk products. Subsequently, a group of people form a human pyramid to reach the matka and break it.The tradition symbolises Lord Krishna's playfulness and innocence, as well as his love for butter and curd.

Dahi Handi celebrations commemorate Lord Krishna's act of eating Dahi hung at a height when he was a child. As per the Hindu calendar, Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, was born on the eighth day of the month of Bhadra. The day mostly falls in August or September as per the Western calendar.

The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated by offering prayers to Lord Krishna, with beautifully decorated swings, dance and music performances, along with the Dahi Handi competition. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)