Maharashtra State Government Denies Permission For Dahihandi

Mumbai, 23rd August 2021: The state government has denied permission to hold Dahihandi in Maharashtra, including Mumbai. The decision was taken in a meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and representatives of Govinda groups in Maharashtra.

Due to the Coronavirus disease (COVID19) pandemic, Dahihandi teams from all over the state, including Mumbai and Thane, did not celebrate the festival last year in 2020. The Coordinating Committee demanded that the administration should be allowed to celebrate Dahihandi. The coordination committee also told the government that it would provide two doses of vaccine to all ‘Govindas’ and they would be responsible for a safe Dahihandi festival.

The government said the task force had said that celebrating Dahihandi could increase the impact of the corona on a larger scale, also upscaling the possibility of a third wave. The Coordinating Committee suggested that organizing the festival would be criticized globally. The committee also demanded to make certain rules for Ganeshotsav. However, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who were present at the meeting, explained to the members of the Coordinating Committee why they could not give permission.

Once allowed and the influence grows, the festival and the culture will suffer. At this time, the Chief Minister said that it will not be possible to give any permission as you wish. The Chief Minister has made a positive appeal considering how we pay attention to the Govinda pathaks and the stress on the people.

For the last one and a half years, the corona has plagued the country. Therefore this virus has been ravaging all the festivals; making the Ganesh mandals and the Dahihandi mandals baffled with disappointment. Though Ganeshotshav has been allowed on a limited basis only for domestic installation. Against this backdrop, since the vaccine rollout, it was demanded that Dahihandi and other festivals should be allowed to some extent.

MNS to celebrate a ‘world record Dahihandi’
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had decided to celebrate ‘Dahihandi Jallosha’ a month ago. MNS has announced that the world record Dahihandi will be celebrated on 31st August this year. MNS leader Abhijit Panse has announced this by posting on Facebook. He posted this on Wednesday afternoon and said that the world record Dahihandi will be held on August 31. The MNS has announced that it will celebrate the world record Dahihandi before the state government announces whether it will get permission or exemption from Dahihandi or Ganeshotsav this year when social distance and all other restrictions are in place during the Corona period and there is a threat of a third wave. Like MNS, BJP MLA from Ghatkopar constituency Ram Kadam has also announced that Dahihandi festival will be celebrated this year.

Dahihandi was canceled due to corona last year
Dahihandi is celebrated on a large scale in Mumbai and Pune every year. A large number of Govinda Pathaks are participating in this. Many political parties and their local leaders are also organizing big Dahihandis. Therefore, in this traditional festival of Dahihandi, the financial turnover also increases. However, last year, the state government had decided not to celebrate Dahihandi due to corona. While a similar decision is likely to be taken this year too, MNS has already announced that a world record Dahihandi will be celebrated this year.