Senior govindas hand over baton of dahi handi to next generation | Mumbai News

Mumbai: The festival of dahi handi coming up Aug 16 is a household affair in certain families. A number of father-son and mother-daughter pairs are part of govinda teams. Even the third generation of little boys and girls joins their grandparents in this adventure sport.TOI profiles a few families where the baton of dahi handi is being handed down, with school and college students, IT engineers and rickshaw drivers all making this sport a level playing field.The founder of Mumbai’s most prominent women govindas’ team, Geeta Zagde of Parle Sports Club, said, “My daughter Ashtami, who was born on Janmashtami, plays dahi handi as do my sister and my niece. Each girl born into our family comes to watch practice from childhood and becomes a govinda. I have never allowed our girls to fear injury or worry about their prospect of marriage should they fall.”Sanket Salvi, 33, an IT engineer based in Bhandup, works as a software developer. Work life balance for him involves climbing the human pyramid for the local Shivneri Govinda Pathak after he is done with his day job. As a teen he would accompany his father, Arvind Salvi, now 68, who is a mentor to a professional govinda championship. Sanket’s six-year-old daughter Tvisha is also developing interest. She joins her father and climbs the pyramid under his watchful eye. This Bhandup pathak has a separate handi for women.In Malad, autorickshaw driver Sachin Sharad Mhashelkar, 41, playing since 2007, trains his son Vedant who is studying in 12th grade. The father-son duo is attached to Om Brahmand Sai Govinda Mandal. In 2007, Mhashelkar was motivated to form a mandal in Malad. “From a sand sport to harnesses, mats and helmets, dahi handi has progressed well, much like kabaddi,” Sachin said.Since 2008, Omkar Thakore is affiliated with Aryans Govinda Pathak, Jogeshwari. Omkar’s position is on the fifth layer. His father Ashok is team manager. “In my father’s time, this was a festive play in sand and we practised for one week. But now in professional format we practice for over two months on a mat. Safety measures have increased and fewer injuries occur.”The president of the Pro Govinda League championship, Purvesh Sarnaik, said, “Dahi handi is a tradition passed down for generations. It is crucial to ensure that the younger generation stays connected. In today’s fast-paced digital world, preserving our cultural roots is important.”