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| Gokul Ashtami |
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| Gokul Ashtami is celebrated in August - The birth of
Lord Krishna. Most devotees fast till midnight and when the birth of Lord
Krishna is announced, they eat a festive preparation of rice, butter, yogurt,
puris and potatoes. This meal, according to Hindu mythology, was relished by
Lord Krishna and his playmates in Gokul. Young men form human pyramids to break
pots of curds strung high up from buildings. In the villages, the Pola or the
harvest festival is celebrated in which bullocks are bathed, decorated and
taken out in a procession to the accompaniment of beating drums. |
| The Ceremony of Dahi-Handi |
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During this ceremony a large earthenware pot is filled with milk, curds,
butter, honey fruits etc. and is suspended from a height between 20 to 40 feet.
Sporting young men and boys come forward to claim this prize. To do so they
construct a human pyramid by standing over each other's shoulders till the
pyramid is tall enough to enable the topmost person to reach the pot and claim
the contents after breaking it. Normally, currency notes are tied to the rope
by which the pot is suspended. This prize money is distributed among those who
participate in the pyramid building. |
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