Dahi Handi Festival

Lord Krishna's birth anniversary is celebrated on the auspicious day of Krishna Janmashtami. One of the popular cultural sports celebrated on Krishna Janmashtami is Dahi Handi. Dahi refers to curd, and Handi refers to an earthen pot filled with milk products. Also known as Gopalakala or Utlotsavam, Dah Handi is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in Maharashtra. Dahi Handi is celebrated to commemorate the lifestyle of Lord Krishna. According to Hindu mythology, when Lord Krishna was young, he developed his love for dahi, butter and other milk products. His love for these food items became so strong that he started to steal these items from other houses in his neighborhood. He formed his own boy troop to help him to steal curd and butter from the houses. In order to save the butter and curd, the female troops of the neighbourhood used to hang them in earthen pots from the ceiling of their rooms. They did so to take advantage of Lord Krishna's short height. However, Lord Krishna found a way to steal them too – he came up with the idea of forming a human pyramid with his male troop.