It is a festive time in the country as the festival of Janmashtami is being celebrated. A day marking the birth of Lord Krishna, this festival is celebrated with much pomp and fervour across the country. The celebrations of Janmashtami are followed by a sporting event of Dahi Handi. Dahi Handi 2019 will be celebrated on August 24 this time. The festival depicts Lord Krishna's love for Makhan. It is a community event, which sees people forming human pyramids to break earthen pots filled with curd and butter, hung at a height. The festival also known as Gopalkala is celebrated with great enthusiasm in the state of Maharashtra. Over the years, there are several mandals which organise the festival on a public scale, attracting thousands of visitors to just watch the spectacle of human pyramids. However, this year the celebrations in Mumbai are not happening, following the severe floods that struck the state at the start of this month.

Some of the most famous Dahi Handi mandals in Mumbai are- Sankalp Pratisthan in Worli, Sangharsh Pratishthan and Sanskruti Yuva Pratishthan in Thane, Ram Kadam's Dahi Handi in Ghatkopar. These are some events which are organised by political parties and also see celebrity participation. It is in fact, competition with each of the mandals offering huge prize money. But as much as enthusiasm it is to witness the sport, this year would be disappointing as there won't be Dahi Handi celebrations at these major spots. The reason being, the havoc created by monsoons in the state this year. All of the major mandals and organisations have decided to donate the money to the flood-affected regions.

The districts of Pune, Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara in western Maharashtra were flooded for days in the first week of August. As per reports, close to three lakh people had to be evacuated to safer places. The Army, Navy and NDRF got to rescue operations in flood-ravaged districts. The loss is unprecedented more than that in 2005 floods. The government along with other NGOs started relief funds to help the people. Even celebrities have done their bit to donate to the cause and help in the rehabilitation of people.

The celebrations of Dahi Handi saw a slowdown since last year after the strict because of the restrictions fixed by the Supreme Court. There were concerns about the accidents of the govindas after. The height of the pyramids was also in question. This year too, even if some mandals do hold celebrations, they will be very low key. The prize money is also reduced as a part of the money will be donated for Maharashtra flood relief.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 23, 2019 10:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).