Visually impaired women govindas aim for top spot in Mumbai this Janmashthami

This group of govindas will be participating in competitions at Prabhadevi, Mulund, Borivli and Thane, among other places.

For over a month now, 20 visually impaired women and girls from different parts of the city have been gathering at a ground in Matunga to practise their human pyramid formations ahead of Janmashtami.

20 visually impaired women and girls from different parts of the city have been gathering at a ground in Matunga to practise their human pyramid formations. (HT FILE)

This group of govindas will be participating in competitions at Prabhadevi, Mulund, Borivli and Thane, among other places. Last year, the group had managed to break around 13 handis. Aakansha Wakad, 18, a student of SIES College, who is participating in the Dahi Handi celebrations for the second year in a row, recalls being unable to sleep the entire night before her first competition. “It’s about the kind of reactions we get when they see us; people say they are motivated by us,” said Wakad, who has been practising despite a leg injury.

During their performance, the coach PV Devendra, who is partially blind, requests organisers and onlookers to ensure that there is no excessive noise so that he can give voice instructions to the team. “They don’t face a problem climbing because they have been practising for so long,” said Devendra.

The idea to get visually-impaired people to participate in the Dahi Handi festival came from the group Nayan Foundation. “Soon the group will participate in an international Dahi Handi celebration,” said Shardul Mhadgut, secretary of Nayan Foundation.