At least 56 Govindas were injured while forming human pyramids during Dahi Handi celebrations in Thane, according to a report by Loksatta. The injured include children under the age of 14, with some participants suffering fractures and injuries to their backs, shoulders, knees, necks, heads and chests.
The celebrations were held across the Thane Police Commissionerate area on Saturday, when 254 Dahi Handi events were organised. Govinda teams from Thane, Mumbai, Mumbai’s suburbs and Navi Mumbai took part in competitions to break the suspended earthen pots by forming human pyramids.
Several participants sustained minor injuries, while others required treatment for more serious conditions. The report said some Govindas suffered fractures in their legs. Children among the injured were reported to have sustained injuries to their hands, legs and shoulders.
The injured participants were taken to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital run by the Thane Municipal Corporation in Kalwa and to the district government hospital. Some were given preliminary treatment and discharged, while those with fractures or other injuries remained under medical care, according to the report.
The injured included participants from Thane, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The reported involvement of children under 14 has brought renewed attention to the safety of minors taking part in Dahi Handi human-pyramid events.
Dahi Handi celebrations are held annually across Thane, where large numbers of Govinda teams gather for public competitions. The scale of this year’s events, with 254 celebrations taking place within the commissionerate area, brought participants from several parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region into the city.
Loksatta reported that treatment was continuing for injured Govindas at the hospitals. The report did not provide a separate breakdown of injuries by hospital, event location, age group or severity, and no official consolidated statement from the police or municipal authorities was included in the available information.
