Govinda

It all started with Krishna (कृष्ण) who wanted to have his share of butter from the Gopis (गोपी). In the days when refrigerators did not exist, the only way to store butter was in earthen pots (Handi हंडी) and that too well above the ground. It served many purposes; the Handi (हंडी) kept the butter naturally cool and prevented melting. Tying the Handi (हंडी) well above the ground and close to the ceiling ensured better cooling due to air circulation and safety from cats, Krishna (कृष्ण) and his teammates. Krishna devised a simple method to reach the Handi (हंडी) by forming human pyramid. May be a two or three layer pyramid would suffice to reach to the Handi (हंडी) and ‘steal’ the butter.

It’s surprising how of all other communities, only the natives of Girgaum in south Mumbai picked up this act of Krishna and started the event that has today assumed large dimensions and is known as Govinda. What was once upon a time just emulating Krishna, turned into a social event and then a sport. The landlords of Girgaum on the day following the Krishna’s birth would mingle with their workforce, stand shoulder to shoulder to form the pyramid, hit the pot (हंडी) hanged well above the ground and share the contents that included eatables. It was truly a social event. Over period of time the nature of the game changed. It can be a matter of research, but not the scope of this article. The social event turned into a sport, first unorganised and later on organised. Local teams got formed. The landlord and workforce aspect got eliminated. Different people from all strata of the society joined hands for this event. As the height of the pot from the ground kept on rising; the eatables were replaced by cash. Higher the height more was the cash. Teams became mobile and started visiting neighbourhood to scale newer heights to break the Handi (हंडी) and of course to earn more prizes.

All this was fine and acceptable. But the politics crept in. The team size increased as the height of the Handi (हंडी) increased. The lowest circle had to be large with stout members, more layers were needed leading to increased numbers of team members. More the members, so the more expenses and this resulted in the need for a sponsor. And when the sponsors are needed, how could the politicians miss on the opportunity. Politicians always need followers, and that too at a minimal cost. Sponsorship that offered a tee shirt and a Vada Pav (वडापाव) with Chai (चाय)  a day was the least that a team would expect and the most that a politician would offer. More money would be spent on hoardings and media advertising. Due to higher expenses, the Handi (हंडी) with low prize money was not attracting the teams. The Handi (हंडी) went into a competitive spiral. Thanks to politicians. The Handi (हंडी) of few rupees started swelling. Hundreds became thousands, thousands became lacs and this year lacs have turned into crore. The greed increased, so the layers in the human pyramids increased. Seven layers to eight, eight layers to nine and this year nine layers to ten, making the sports more dangerous. Accidents became more common, resulting in death or paralyzed individuals. The sponsors offered lip sympathy or meager compensation in such cases. It is said that many a times the promised amounts were not paid even after taking all the risk to break the Handi (हंडी). Few sweet words and false promises help the politicians to keep the teams with them.

There is no doubt that this sport needs lot of organisation, planning, team work, physical efforts, strength and of course funds. Teams have to start the practice at least three months ahead. During this period the team members must have some incremental diet to meet the enhanced caloric requirements. The cost of this incremental diet can be minimum Rs.20/- per day per team member. If he team comprises of one hundred members then the incremental expenses are Rs.2000/- per day. For a period of three months it would be nearly Rs. 200,000/- per season. Add to this the travelling and other expenses incurred on administration, travelling etc. This all can run upto Rs.250,000/- at the least per team. To retain and motivate the participants who are mostly from poor families, the amount may have to be four to five times more than the bare minimum. If you want insurance and medical facilities, snacks on the D day, the expenses swell further. Does any sponsor rally shells out this kind of money? More money is spent on media. The electronic media is flooded with sponsorship advertisements. All political parties compete to gain the mileage at the cost of poor participants. The returns are minimal for the efforts. A team can break maximum three to four Handis (हंडी) in a day. In order to attract teams and for political propaganda the prize money keeps on increasing. Unfortunately at some places the Handi (हंडी) remains unbroken or the prize money promises are broken.

Govinda (गोविंदा) must remain a clean sport; remain away from politics and undesirable risks. It’s a cultural heritage and it should not get corrupted with politics, power play and money power. Healthy competition is welcome with organised efforts to take Govinda (गोविंदा)  around the world.

Have a safe and enjoyable Govinda (गोविंदा) . Best luck.