Thane city which is known for its art and culture has thrown up a new challenge for govinda pathaks of Mumbai and Thane. They have declared a cash prize in the range of Rs 21 lacs to Rs 25 lacs for a 10 tier human pyramid to break dahi handi on Monday.
On September 3, govinda mandals from Thane, Mumbai and other areas will have to bring their A-game to the city. Swami Pratishthan of Thane have declared a cash prize of Rs 25 lacs for a 10 tier dahi handi this year. The cash prize has been declared by Swami Pratishthan and Bharatiya Mathadi Kamgar Sangh president Shivaji Patil.
"We will keep a donation box at the dahi handi venuei and the proceeds will go to the victims of Kerala floods," says Patil. "The donation will be handed over to our chief minister and we will also contribute to the families of farmers who committed suicide," he says.. It is for the first time that the Pratishthan and the BJP's (Bhartiya janata party) worker union has organised a dahi handi and that too with such a heavy cash prize.
Govinda pathak who form a nine tier human pyramid will get Rs 11 lacs. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to visit this dahi handi in Thane which will be held at Hiranandani Meadows, opposite Dr Kashinath Ghanekar auditorium on Monday.
Even the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has kept a prize of Rs 21 lacs for a 10 tier human formation. "Last time it was nine tier govinda pyramid which made a guinness record. So this year we have upped the challenge to 10 tier and have also increased the prize money," says Arun Ghosalkar, from Thane MNS. Their dahi handi is at Bhagwati maidan in Vishnunagar, Thane.
However, MLA (member of legislative assembly) Pratap Sarnaik's Sanskruti Yuva Pratishthan have not kept any such limit on human tier. "We have organised it as a sport event and whichever is the best pathak(team) will get the prize. We have not kept any limit on human tier formation as it is risky," says Purvesh Sarnaik, secretary of Sanskruti Pratishthan.
