From the archive record
Dahi Handi, is celebrated with enormous zeal and enthusiasm. One of the team is ready for the breaking of the Dahi Handi. The handi is a clay pot filled with buttermilk that is positioned at a convenient height prior to the event. The topmost person on the human pyramid tries to break the handi by hitting it with a blunt object. When the handi breaks, the buttermilk is spilled over the entire group, symbolizing their achievement through unity. Handis are set up around the city, and groups of youngsters --called Govinda Pathaks -- travel around in trucks trying to break as many handis as possible during the day. Many -- such Govinda Pathaks -- compete with each other, especially for the handis that dole out hefty rewards. The event, in recent times, has gathered a political flavor, and it i