Mumbai’s festive spirit was overshadowed by tragedy on Thursday when a 32-year-old man lost his life while preparing for the Dahi Handi celebrations in Mankhurd.
The victim, identified as Jagmohan Shivkiran Chaudhari, was a member of the Bal Govinda Pathak group. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster management unit, Chaudhari was securing a rope for the Dahi Handi from the first floor of a building when he suddenly lost his balance and fell inside the house.
Family members and relatives rushed him to Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi, but doctors declared him dead around 3 p.m.
This marks the first reported fatality of this year’s Dahi Handi festivities. Data compiled by the BMC and government hospitals revealed that at least 30 participants across Mumbai sustained injuries, most of them minor, during the celebrations.
Dahi Handi, a highlight of the Janmashtami festival, is known for its high-energy competitions, where groups of Govindas form towering human pyramids to reach and break a clay pot filled with curd suspended at a height. While the tradition draws massive crowds and excitement every year, incidents like this serve as a reminder of the risks and dangers that accompany the celebrations.