Thursday, September 02, 2010

Happy Janmashtami!

Today, people all over India are celebrating Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of the Lord Krishna. Yashodhan school celebrated this festival yesterday, as they all get to enjoy a holiday today :)

This little boy was dressed up as Krishna, complete with a peacock feather in his hair and a flute in his hand, both of which are synonymous with the image of the popular Hindu god.

These little girls also dressed up in special outfits to mark the occasion.

In Mumbai, Janmashtami celebrations are incomplete without 'Dahi Handi'. The story goes that baby Krishna was very fond of curd and would always break into the pots people had at their homes, to steal curd. Taking off from this legend, the breaking of the dahi handi (an earthen pot filled with curd) has become a popular sport that communities take part in every year during Janmashtami, irrespective of their religious background. 

Young people (mostly men and boys) form a human pyramid to reach the 'dahi handi' suspended high above. When the pyramid reaches the dahi handi, the topmost member, usually the smallest person in the team, breaks the pot and lets the curd pour all over the pyramid.

Yesterday, we watched the boys at Yashodhan show off their agility too. 

While an enthusiastic audience watched...

It all ended with some dancing and fun in the rain :)


Photos by: Jorge Zamacona

1 comment:

  1. "Today, people all over India are celebrating Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of the Lord Krishna".

    HELLO AWESOME PEOPLE FROM MUMBAI SMILES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS HOLIDAY. EITHER I HAVE SUCH A BAD MEMORY ( SOMETIMES ) OR YOU HAD NOT TOLD US ABOUT THIS HOLIDAY BEFORE. I THINK IT IS THE FIRST ONE.

    WHATSOEVER, TONS OF THANKS FOR SHARING WITH US ALL THESE FUN PICTURES. WELL, NOT ONLY IS NICE TO SEE THE PICTURES, BY THE SAME MEANS WE LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT THIS DIVERSE CULTURE.
    AND BY THE WAY "CONGRATULATIONS YASHODHAN", WELL DONE !!!

    THE BEST OF THE BEST FR.. ... AND ABUNDANTLY, ALWAYS !!!

    p.s.LYalle

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