One can see the colour, the energy and the enthusiasm but what remains hidden is the changing face of the 155-year-old Dahi handi festival.
From a small, traditional neighbourhood event, it has been blown into a multicrore extravaganza.
As the business of Dahi handi becomes more and more commercial, many feel the biggest casualty has been the pious sentiment once associated with Gokulashtami.
And it's obvious in this working class neighbourhood of Mumbai's Jogeshwari.
The amount of money Jai Jawan Dahi Handi mandal spends every Gokulashtami is unbelievable.
"We spent nearly Rs 7 lakh this year. More than half of this will be on costume," Raju Sawant, treasurer of Jai Jawan Dahi Handi Mandal said.
There are over 250 registered Dahi handi mandals in Mumbai and Thane. The spending ranges from anywhere between Rs 5 to 12 lakh per mandal with a total budget of about Rs 12 and a half crore.
The funding comes from different sources including political parties who find these events a perfect platform to influence young voters.
At the Jai Jawan mandal, for instance, the benefactor is Narayan Rane.
The corporate sector too is a willing spender which leaves the organisers flush with funds.
And the stacks of money keeps building up just like the human pyramids do.
From a small, traditional neighbourhood event, it has been blown into a multicrore extravaganza.
As the business of Dahi handi becomes more and more commercial, many feel the biggest casualty has been the pious sentiment once associated with Gokulashtami.
And it's obvious in this working class neighbourhood of Mumbai's Jogeshwari.
The amount of money Jai Jawan Dahi Handi mandal spends every Gokulashtami is unbelievable.
"We spent nearly Rs 7 lakh this year. More than half of this will be on costume," Raju Sawant, treasurer of Jai Jawan Dahi Handi Mandal said.
There are over 250 registered Dahi handi mandals in Mumbai and Thane. The spending ranges from anywhere between Rs 5 to 12 lakh per mandal with a total budget of about Rs 12 and a half crore.
The funding comes from different sources including political parties who find these events a perfect platform to influence young voters.
At the Jai Jawan mandal, for instance, the benefactor is Narayan Rane.
The corporate sector too is a willing spender which leaves the organisers flush with funds.
And the stacks of money keeps building up just like the human pyramids do.