The festival of Janmashtami or Lord Krishna’s birthday is one of the most auspicious celebrations across India, graced with vibrant decorations along with the radiance of lights.
Devotees visit prominent places associated with Lord Krishna’s stories such as Mathura, Vrindavan, and Gokul to enjoy Janmashtami and Dahi Handi. This year, the Janmashtami and Dahi Handi festival falls on August 26 and 27, 2024. The celebration Dahi Handi is influenced from how Lord Krishna would steal butter or Makkhan from his mother Yashoda’s kitchen.
In major parts of India, the most anticipated and exciting event of the Janmashtami celebration is Dahi Handi where people participate to form a huge human pyramid to ultimately break an earthen pot, full of curd. The catch? The pot is usually hung at a good height, often as high as building! Due to harmful injuries, the Supreme Court of India has decided to ban participation of under-12 kids in Dahi Handi celebration. So, how can you keep your kids safe during Janmashtami Dahi Handi celebration? Following are essential tips that parents should keep in mind to protect their children during the Dahi Handi.
Believe it or not, all children are not fit enough to participate in human pyramid formation. It demands good stamina, flexible limbs, good eyesight along with light-weight physique. If your kid is not fit enough, it's advisable to not participate in human pyramid formation.
There is no alternative to practice. Human pyramid formation demands brilliant coordination, patience as well as agility. If your kid is willing to participate in this ritual, your responsibility should be providing sufficient practice. Nowadays, there are authorised groups to provide training for Dahi Handi.
Ensure your kid is wearing comfortable and well-fitting clothes for easy movement. Do not allow loose clothing that might cause hindrance during the pyramid-formation process.
Even after practice, any injury can happen at any time. On the day of Dahi Handi, make sure there is first-aid box on site. Also, keep a vehicle on standby for any emergency. Kids should always be equipped with harnesses. Remember, injuries during Dahi Handi is very common, thus safety precautions must be handy.
The winning team often gets rewarded with high prize amounts during Dahi Handi which sometimes dilutes the spirit of participation. To win the prize, kids become reckless which may lead to harmful consequences. As a guardian, your responsibility would be to make them aware about the spirit or festival, not the prize money.
Human body needs tremendous agility to participate in Dahi Handi. Thus, your kid needs sufficient water and nutrition to maintain energy levels. Ensure they are consuming water and light snacks at regular intervals.
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With foot-tapping music to vibrant colours, dahi handi celebrations are spectacular to behold. Participating in Dahi Handi festival can be an exhilarating experience for children. However, ensuring their safety during this energetic celebrations is paramount. Before the event, ask your children if they are worried or not. Dahi Handi is not restricted to boys anymore; nowadays all-girl human pyramids are popular too.
Ensure safety precautions to enjoy Janmashtami and Dahi Handi celebrations peacefully.
