Supreme Court asks Bombay HC to review its order on dahi handi

Source – timesofindia.indiatimes.com

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Bombay High Court to review its order barring people below 18 years of age from taking part in forming human pyramid in dahi handi festival on Janmashtami and also consider relaxing its direction fixing the maximum height of pyramid to 20 feet.

A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and R Banumathi referred the plea of Maharashtra government seeking relaxation in 2014 order to High Court and asked it to grant hearing on August 7, a week before the dahi handi was to be celebrated across the state.

The Dahi Handi ceremony is held on Janmasthami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, every year. It involves forming a human pyramid and breaking an earthen pot filled with buttermilk which is tied at a height. Although the festival is celebrated across the country but it is very popular in Maharashtra.

The HC had 2014 ruled that children must not be allowed to participate in forming pyramid as it was dangerous and it had also ordered that not more than four human layers would allowed in pyramid. But the apex court had stayed the order and allowed the organisers to celebrate dahi handi as per earlier rules for that year. The apex court, however, in August last year had revived Bombay HC order putting age restriction on participants to prevent injury caused to children and brought in force the order fixing the maximum height of pyramid to 20 feet.