SC says Dahi Handi pyramids can’t exceed 20 feet, rejects appeal

The Maharashtra government requested the top court to increase the maximum allowed height of the human pyramids from 20 to 25 feet but was turned

Human pyramids formed during the Dahi Handi festival cannot exceed 20 feet, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday, rejecting a petition that argued that a height restriction would mar one of India’s most-prominent festivals.

Devotees form a human pyramid to break Dahi Handi at Ghatkopar (E) in Mumbai. (Arijit Sen/ HT photo)

The Maharashtra government requested the top court to increase the maximum allowed height of the human pyramids from 20 to 25 feet but was turned down.

The petitioner--a trust in Maharashtra that organises Dahi Handi--said forming human pyramids was a competition that would be hampered by restrictions, but the top court dismissed the plea.

Thousands of people come together to celebrate Dahi Handi every year across India, especially in Maharashtra, where young men form human pyramids to reach and smash a pot of curd hung on a rope above.

The festival is also politically significant as major parties use the festivities to organise campaigns and reach out to the youth.