View from the base of the human pyramid

She may have been part of the lower rungs but being a firsttime govinda made her feel on top of the world writes Chetna YerunkarWakingu00a0up last morning I felt the same nervous anticipation that I used to feel before my board exams something I had made the mistake of thinking was behind me for good For yesterday was when I was supposed to put my 20day rigorous training to be a govinda to good use and contribute to the success of my dahi handi mandal Clockwise from top left Chetna grimaces as she helps other girls stay aloft The girls successful run at the first dahi handi MiD DAYs report on her struggles yesterday and the pooja conducted by the girls at their training ground PICSSAMEER MARKANDEAnd I did well Not only did I return home without any scratches and bruises our group Sfurti Seva Mandal managed to break one dahi handi and form fivelayer pyramids in three other places netting a total prize of Rs 60000Venue 1My firstever day as a govinda started at 830 am with a pooja of the ground where we had practiced for nearly a month A breakfast of vada paav wafers and tea calmed my nerves a little and my team mates and I boarded a bus arranged by the mandal at 1100 amOur first stop was the Hindu Shatabdi Dahi Handi mandal in Thane West and we got there around 1230 pmu00a0When our turn came we formed a fivelevel human pyramid and broke the handi As soon as the girls above me descended loud strains of Bollywood music wafted through the air and we all jumped with joyOur hugs and general cheering were interrupted by the organisers who called one of us forward to receive the prize of Rs 15000u00a0The youngest girl in the group Rutika Salunkhe who climbed atop the rest of us and had broken the handi did the honours of collecting the chequeVenue 2We then headed to Sangharsh Dahi Handi in Thane organised by MLC Jitendra Awhad We reached there at 130 pm only to see a huge group of people gathered there to witness a Spanish group which was breaking the handi After waiting for more than an hour things settled down and we were given a chance However since the handi was at a great height there was no chance of us breaking it by forming only five levels We made a fivelayer pyramid and Salunkhe shot a salute to the crowd which instantly erupted in cheers Our drill was appreciated and we were given Rs 15000 for the attempt Venue 3Our next destination was Sankalp Pratishthan in Thane We got there around 300 pm and were immediately given a chance as we were the only allwomen group there The handi was too high here as well and we followed our winning formula of forming a fivelayer pyramid and saluting the crowd Our little cash counter rang again and we were Rs 15000 richerVenue 4With Rs 45000 in our piggy bank we headed to Vartak Nagar in Thane West to attempt to break MLA Pratap Sarnaiks handi as it is known to locals Drama began here when we all got a little greedy and decided to attempt a sixlayer pyramid to get the prize of Rs 51000That wasnt to be however and one of my teammates Pooja Jadhav came crashing down landed on her head and lost consciousness A tense 15 minutes followed while medics attended to her and we all cheered when Jadhav finally came out of the forced slumberAnother teammate replaced her and this time we decided to play safe We made a fivelayer pyramid and were happy with the Rs 15000 prizeBack to workAt 500 pm I glanced at my watch and realised that I had to go back to the office and file a report of my experiences My teammates bid me a cheery farewell and I couldnt help but pat myself on the back at having seen the training through despite twisted ankles and a perennially sore bodyThe support of the coaches and the mandal had ensured my success as a govinda and I headed to work grinning from ear to ear after the unforgettable experience I did it