The vibrant Dahi Handi festival in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane turned tragic this year, claiming two lives and leaving more than 300 participants injured, civic authorities confirmed on Sunday.
In Mumbai alone, 318 people were reported injured during Saturday’s festivities, though only 24, including a nine-year-old boy, required hospitalisation. The rest were discharged after treatment. The maximum cases came from the island city (135), followed by the western suburbs (111) and eastern suburbs (72).
Two individuals remain in critical condition — nine-year-old Aryan Yadav from Kandivali, who was injured while participating in a chawl celebration, and 23-year-old Shreyas Chalke, admitted to GT Hospital.
The fatalities included 32-year-old Jagmohan Shivkiran Chaudhari, who fell while tying a handi from his house window in Mankhurd, and a 14-year-old boy who succumbed to injuries at a Ghatkopar hospital. Another participant, Rohan Mohan Malvi, collapsed in Andheri after feeling unwell, though he had not taken part in the pyramid due to recent illness.
In Thane, 22 Govinda participants were injured while attempting human pyramids. Seventeen of them, including several children aged 5–10, were admitted to Kalwa’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital with injuries ranging from fractures to dislocations. An 18-year-old boy with a serious head injury was referred to JJ Hospital in Mumbai, while five others were treated at the District Government Hospital.
Despite the risks, the festival witnessed massive gatherings at mandals across Thane, with Bollywood actors Govinda, Chunky Pandey, and Suniel Shetty joining in the celebrations.