Today we get to listen to very loud stereo speakers being blasted from all around us on the streets today, as people celebrate a festival called dahi handi.
It's the birthday of Lord Krishna, and people all around India celebrate by re-enacting a mythological story about Krishna as a small boy stealing yogurt (dahi) from a clay pot.People gather in large numbers as a team, and hoist each other up into a very tall pyramid - the aim is for the top-most person on the pyramid to reach a suspended clay pot which is filled with dyed yogurt. The boy then breaks the pot with his head, showering himself with dyed yogurt. There are also cash prizes sometimes, and in our neighborhood, the local politicians took the opportunity to sponsor some events in exchange for a platform for quick speeches and lots of oversized poster board space.
Looked like a lot of fun though! In between pyramid-building, the crowds just danced and danced to the booming stereo, and were occasionally sprayed with water from a water truck.
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