Janmashtami Festival in Mumbai

On Krishna’s birthday this folk festival brings the whole mega city together – mainly to watch the human pyramids, and to dance to the accompanying bands in the Mumbai monsoons!

Krishna enjoyed stealing home made butter from the homes of neighbours that was hung up in pots suspended from the roof on Indhonis*.

This story is re-enacted with neighbourhoods getting together and tying a pot – not filled with butter but with cash prizes that run into a hundred of thousands of rupees).

Groups of men then get together and attempt to reach the pot and get the prize money.

The energy in the crowd is electric and the spirit completely comes alive just by being part of the crowd that watches.

This festival is seen mainly in my amazing Mumbai and this year it was on the 1st of September

A sample: Note the pot that is shown at the beginning of the video

(*Indhonis are cushions to place the pot on. They come in 2 forms – one for carrying pots on the head, and the other for storing pots suspended from the roof. The wovensouls collection has antique specimens of both types – unfortunately only one has been posted on the website. Will post the other soon)

jm