Thane: Festival fervour will meet high-altitude athleticism as Thane gears up for grand Dahi Handi celebrations on Saturday, September 5, with several organisers offering lucrative cash prizes to Govinda pathaks attempting to scale towering human pyramids.
Over the years, the traditional celebration commemorating Lord Krishna’s childhood pastime of breaking the Dahi Handi has evolved into a high-stakes spectacle, with teams attempting nine- and even 10-tier human pyramids. Political leaders and local organisations are among the prominent sponsors of the events.
Among the major venues is the Swami Pratishthan event at Panchpakhadi and Hiranandani Meadows, organised by MLA Shivajirao Patil. The event has a total prize pool of ₹71 lakh, along with safety harnesses and insurance coverage for participants.
“Our focus extends beyond rewarding athletic grit with unmatched prize money to providing world-class safety gear, professional harness mechanisms and full insurance coverage so every participant performs with confidence,” said Patil.
Another major attraction is the Gokul Dahi Handi at Castle Mill, organised by Deputy Mayor Krishna Patil, which has announced a prize pool of ₹55 lakh for top-performing teams.
The Sanskriti Yuva Pratishthan’s event at Vartak Nagar, led by MLA Pratap Sarnaik, is offering prizes ranging from ₹21 lakh to ₹51 lakh. The event has also emerged as a venue for attempts at setting global records.
“Dahi Handi has evolved into a recognised adventure sport in Maharashtra. We take immense pride in Thane’s ability to set world records through the sheer precision, discipline and unity shown by our young pathaks,” said Sarnaik.
At Raheja Park, the Sankalp Pratishthan is marking its 21st year. MLC Ravindra Phatak has announced a ₹21 lakh reward for any team that breaks the world record, in addition to cash prizes for women’s teams.
The Tembhi Naka Dahi Handi, organised by supporters of the late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe, is offering prizes ranging from ₹11 lakh to over ₹25 lakh. One of the earliest large-scale Dahi Handi celebrations in Thane, the event remains a major hub of the city’s festivities.
Other prominent celebrations include MLA Jitendra Awhad’s event at Panchpakhadi, offering prizes between ₹11 lakh and ₹25 lakh, and Avinash Jadhav’s event at Naupada, where rewards range from ₹11 lakh to over ₹21 lakh.
Alongside the high-profile competitions, dedicated Dahi Handi events for children with disabilities will also be held at Balkum and Naupada.
Meanwhile, the Thane Police Commissionerate has sanctioned 254 public events across five zones to ensure effective crowd management and security. A multi-layered security arrangement, including CCTV surveillance, deployment of plainclothes personnel and increased police patrolling, has been put in place to ensure peaceful celebrations across the city.
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