07 September,2026 07:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Madhulika Ram Kavattur
Human pyramids formed by members of the Dhristiheen Govinda Pathak at various spots on September 5. Pics/By Special Arrangement
The Nayan Foundation's Dhristiheen Govinda Pathak, Mumbai's first group comprising solely of visually impaired participants, celebrated its 13th year taking part in the Dahi Handi festival across Mumbai and Thane. Every year, the group hires two buses to take all 35 of its members to various pandals starting from Dadar and ending in Thane.
Speaking about his experiences this year, Devendra Ponnalagar, who has been a member of Dhristiheen Govinda Pathak since Year One and also the president of the Nayan Foundation, said, "We had a very good time this year as well, all our members had done very well during training sessions carried out over the past few months, and that showed on Saturday, as we participated easily with great coordination."
[popcorn number="35" desc="No of Dhristiheen Govinda Pathak's members" class="Default"]
The Pathak this year faced some difficulty initially, as many members of the team who have day jobs could not attend the daily practice sessions in Worli; hence, the team had decided that they would practise only on weekends or on public holidays.
While the pathak was planning to make a five-layer human pyramid, the plan was put on hold, and they did their usual four-layer formation. "We didn't want to overexert ourselves. Out of our team of 35, we need at least 13 people for a four-layer pyramid, and we kept switching positions from one place to the next, so that no one got too tired. So we decided to do the four-layer pyramid so that we could all have fun," Ponnalagar said.
Ponnalagar was happy to note, "There was very good coordination, and no one got hurt. Also, this year, the pathak had no trouble handling the crowd and making them stay silent as the pyramid was being formed. "It usually takes a few minutes to get the crowd under control, but this year, spectators understood really fast. The organisers also made multiple announcements before we started, and this was one of the most important reasons that we did not lose coordination at any point."
Usually during Janmashtami, the group travels to about 12 to 13 pandals, proceeding from Dadar to Worli, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, and Thane. This year, though, this was not possible. "We couldn't travel around much, as the chief minister had come to Worli to attend the Dahi Handi celebrations there, and the crowd was too large. We got late by the time we left from there, but we did go to Amrut Nagar in Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, and two places in Thane."
