Krishna Janmashtami 2022: When is Dahi Handi? Know all about its date, history, celebrations and significance

Krishna Janmashtami 2022: The Hindu festival of Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated with much pomp around the country. It marks the birth of Lord Krishna, believed to be the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This year it is being celebrated today, August 18. The auspicious occasion is marked by praying to Lord Krishna, visiting temples to seek his blessings, wearing new clothes, observing fasts, decorating homes and places of worship, making sweet dishes made of milk products, and more. However, among the many rituals, the Dahi Handi festival, also called Gopalakala or Utlotsavam, holds great significance and is celebrated with much fanfare every year.

When is Dahi Handi 2022?

Dahi Handi is marked a day after Janmashtami. According to Drik Panchang, this year, Dahi Handi falls on Friday, August 19, 2022. The Ashtami Tithi will begin at 09:20 pm on August 18, 2022, and end at 10:59 pm on August 19, 2022. (Also Read: Krishna Janmashtami 2022: Is Krishna Janmashtami on August 18 or 19? Read all the details about Janmashtami inside)

Dahi Handi 2022 History and Significance:

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna was fond of curd and butter in his childhood. As he grew up, his fondness for curd and butter increased, and he would find mischievous ways to steal it from neighbours and villagers. When Yashoda maa found out about the makhan chor’s deeds, she asked villagers to hide the freshly churned butter and dahi in earthen pots and tie them high up in the air. She also tied Lord Krishna to prevent him from stealing more butter and curd. However, Lord Krishna’s friends created a human pyramid to help him reach the earthen pots to steal the butter.

How is Dahi Handi celebrated today?

Translated literally, Dahi means curd, and Handi is an earthen pot used to process and store milk products. The celebration of Dahi Handi is a sweet reminder of the endearing and notorious ways of makhan chor Lord Krishna. The Dahi Handi festival is popularly celebrated in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Each year, Dahi Handi celebrations witness large gatherings of people re-enacting his stories and feasting. Additionally, a Handi containing dahi (curd), makhan (butter), ghee, sweets and nuts is suspended at a height of 30 ft. Then, groups of people called mandals compete against each other to form a human pyramid and break the Handi. The person on top of the human pyramid is referred to as Govinda. Whoever breaks the Handi first gets a prize. The celebrations are worth watching every year.