By Smritika Banerjee
Mumbai 16, A jubilant celebration of tradition and community turned heartbreaking as the lively Dahi Handi festival was overshadowed by tragedy. Two people have died, and more than 95 others were injured in accidents across the city and nearby Thane, raising urgent questions about safety during the popular festival.
The first victim was Jagmohan Shivkiran Chaudhari, a 32-year-old from Mankhurd. Sadly, he fell to his death while trying to secure the ‘dahi handi’ rope to a window grille in his home. Officials say he lost his balance while attempting the task and was rushed to the Shatabdi Hospital, Govandi, but he was declared dead on arrival around 3.45pm.
14-year-old Rohan Mohan Valvi, a member of Gaondevi Govinda Pathak,in Andheri collapsed while sitting in a tempo van because he has a history of jaundice. He was initially rushed to a private hospital, but later transferred to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, where he was unfortunately declared dead around 9 p.m. The local police have begun an investigation into the circumstances of his death.
The inquiry count is very alarming. Initial reports suggest around 95 people have been injured, which includes 30 in hospitals in south Mumbai, with 11 still under treatment and 19 discharged. Among them, Shreyas Chalke (23) is in a critical condition at GT Hospital. Later updates from various sources across Mumbai and Thane indicate that many more suffered injuries, fractures and bruises from those incidents. According to data from civic and government hospitals upto 9pm, 17 injuries were reported in Thane while Navi Mumbai had 6 reports and 5 injuries were reported from Kalyan-Ulhasnagar taking the number of injured across MMR to 123.
Two of those injured which includes a 9 year old kid, were critical at the time of going to the press. Firstly, troupes achieved the pyramid tier thrice. The group from Jogeshwari, Kokannagar Govinda became the first who formed ten layers at Minister Pratap Sarnaik’s event in Thane.
These incidents sharply focus on the ongoing safety concerns surrounding Dahi Handi. Despite court rulings and regulations aimed at protecting participants—such as age and height restrictions—many rules are often ignored in the rush to win prizes and showmanship, sometimes fueled by political backing and community pride. The high-stakes nature of these competitions can sometimes overshadow safety, leading to tragic consequences.