The BBC South Asia had a video short last week about the Dahi Handi festival (each September) in Mumbai. Click on picture for video:
The charming local gentleman they interview in the video vociferously makes the case that they $hould commercialize the heck out of the festival. You know, like La Tomatina in Spain.
Dahi Handi generally takes place on the second day of Janmashtami. An earthen pot containing a mixture of milk, dry fruits, ghee is hung around 20-30 feet high in the air with the help of a rope. Silver coins are hung along with the rope,which are later distributed as prize to the winners. Enthusiastic young men, form a human pyramid by standing one on top of the other, trying to break the pot. Onlookers throw water on the young men in order to prevent them from breaking the pot. Breaking of the pot is followed by prize distribution. Devotees believe that the broken pieces of earthen pot will keep away mice and negative powers from their homes.
Dahi Handi is celebrated with fervor, especially in the twin cities of Mathura – Vrindavan, Dwarka and Mumbai. Young men in Mumbai yell ‘Ala re ala, Govinda ala’ during the ceremony. [link]
What say you? Shall we put together a team of Sepia Mutiny readers?
Shall we put together a team of Sepia Mutiny readers? no. sm kids are too busy carrying their iphone at Harvard.
Based on the footage from that video clip I think it needs to be far more extravagant to be a commercial success.
Only possible if it were coed. The dudes alone here could not pull it off.
If we do commercialize it, we have to do it in India. Here, I think we’d have to worry about getting sued more. 😉