Festival
A to Z of dahi handi
The sport of dahi handi is a part of the festivities of the birth of Krishna. Learn more about the sport before you get a chance to watch it in person.
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Dahi handi, believe it or not, is one of the most popular adventure sports practised on Indian streets.
This is a joyous Indian tradition that has rediscovered itself as an extreme sport over the years. The rules are simple: teams take it in turns to form tiers of human pyramids until one person reaches an earthen pot hung high in the air, and breaks it. The first team to successfully break the pot is the winner.
It is practised most often in Mumbai and Pune, and other towns in the state of Maharashtra. But many other places in India also have their own versions of dahi handi festivities. Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and the twin cities of Vridavan-Mathura in Uttar Pradesh also have dahi handi festivities, while Dwarka in Gujarat has makhan handi. A small town in Tamil Nadu also has similar celebrations (more on that later).
The festival celebrates the birth of Krishna, one of the most loved gods of Hindu mythology. As a child, Krishna loved milk products so much that he would call upon his friends to form a human pyramid so that he could reach butter in a pot that was hung from the ceiling. Using the same idea, scores of people form tiers of human pyramids to break earthen pots filled with curd that are hung in the air.
Dahi handi is a team sport with rich traditions, so it’s best to get a background on it before you step out to watch teams get ready to touch the sky.
Here’s an A to Z of dahi handi to help you understand the festival.
A for Aala Re Aala
A Marathi expression used to announce the arrival of a dahi handi team. The expression was famously used in a song for a Bollywood film.
B for Bakshish
Bakshish means bonus or prize money, given to the winning team that breaks the pot.
C for Castell
These are human pyramids built in Spain for festivals. Some Castell teams from Catalonia visit India to participate in dahi handi celebrations.
D for Dahi
A form of curd stored in the handi (earthen pots) that teams are vying to break.
The person closest to the handi is the "ekka" or ace
© Focus Sports
E for Ekka Handi Cha
The person at the top of the pyramid is called ekka, which means an ace. The term 'ekka handi cha' means ‘the person who will triumph over the pot’.
F for Fodun Tak
A Marathi expression urging the ‘Ekka Handi Cha’ to break the earthen pot when close to it.
G for Gopi/Gopika
Male participants of the dahi handi tradition are called gopis, and female participants are called gopikas. Male participants are also called govindas, which was one of Krishna’s nicknames.
H for Handi
The earthen pot hung high in the air which teams attempt to break.
I for Instruments
Street musicians like banjo bands and dhol tasha liven up the festivities.
Street musicians are an important part of dahi handi festivities
© Focus Sports
J for Jai Jawan Govinda Pathak
A dahi handi team from Mumbai that holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest human pyramid (43.79 feet of nine human tiers).
K for Krishna
The beloved Hindu deity whose love for curd inspired the dahi handi tradition and sport.
L for Limits
This specifically refers to age limits since the sport can be dangerous. For example, Red Bull Jod Ke Tod participants must be 18 years or older.
M for Maakhanchor
Maakhan meaning butter, chor meaning thief. Maakhanchor is an endearing term for 'butter thief' Krishna, and the inspiration for dahi handi celebrations.
N for Naaral
Naaral is a coconut, which is placed on top of the dahi handi and used to break the pot.
O for Ola Zaala Govinda
Translating to ‘the govindas are drenched’, which is said when spectators throw water on the participants to playfully challenge their climb.
5 min
Parle Sports Club - Gopika team at Red Bull Jod Ke Tod 2017
The story of the Parle Sports Club gopika team, the winning team of the female competition at Red Bull Jod Ke Tod 2017.
Be sure to download the free Red Bull TV app and catch all the sports action on all your devices! Get the app here.
P for Pathak
Pathak is a team of participants aiming to break the dahi handi.
Q for Qualify
Every team gets a maximum of three qualification attempts to break a handi.
R for Rangeet Taalim
The rehearsals, practice and preparations teams do for three-four weeks before competing.
S for Shor Mach Gaya Shor
The most popular dahi handi song from the Bollywood movie Badla.
T for Thar
A single tier of participants in the human pyramid.
U for Uriyadi
The term for the dahi handi festival in Tamil Nadu. Participants attempt to climb a slippery pole to reach the pot.
V for Varahur
The village in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district where dahi handi is celebrated. The village has a population of fewer than 3,000 people.
W for Water Balloons
Spectators get involved in the festivities by using water balloons and jet sprays to get the participants drenched.
X for Xtreme
Dahi handi has transformed into an adventure/extreme sport in recent years.
Y for Ya Re Ya Saare Ya
A folk song which calls for spectators and participants to assemble for dahi handi celebrations. Click here to listen to the song.
Z for Zingaat
A song from the Marathi film Sairat which has become the dance anthem for the festival. Check it out here.
Answer the call of "Ya Re Ya Saare Ya"
© Focus Sports
Now you know the songs and expressions used at the festival. If you hear any of them in your neighbourhood, you might want to get in closer for a better view.
Red Bull Jod Ke Tod is a sporting tournament based on the dahi handi festival. Teams compete in a knockout format and aim to break the dahi handi in the fastest time in order to win.
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