The celebration of the Dahi Handi yesterday flooded Mumbai and nearby towns, such as Thane, with hundreds of pathaks (gangs) who came out to erect their constructions, to honor the God Krishna, as marked by this Hindu tradition. There was no pyramid of 10, although the pathak Jai Jawan – considered the best and who won the Govinda Contest on the 18th – came close to achieving it.

The construction attempt of 10, hitherto unheard of in the Govinda world, generated considerable anticipation in the days leading up to the Dahi Handi. To the already heightened attraction capacity of the Dahi Handi – a first-level event in the Maharashtra region – was added the attention aroused by the tests of 10 Jai Jawans. The main dates of the Dahi Handi attracted media attention. It was picked up by regional and even national television stations and was broadcast live on YouTube (with more than half a million views), as well as having a strong impact on the networks.

The Jai Jawan is the most powerful pathak and this year again had the assault at 10 as a big priority. He tried it three times: the first time it broke when the top floor was taking off, the second time when the whole pillar was being put upright on it, and the third time when it was only a second or two away from reaching full verticality . They had it close, but they didn’t quite get it. Go is about the best 10 pyramid tests ever achieved. In all three, the weight was on top and the problems were more balance in the final stretch, than weight.

The Jai Jawan’s 10-story pyramid has five bases, plus a sixth that holds the support of two people. Above is the pillar with four components. The balance of this last part of the construction – located above six levels – is key to achieving success. In all three attempts yesterday, the topper was tied with a cable to prevent its predictable fall from a considerable height. These last floors rise to up on the shoulders.

Yesterday’s day recorded up to eleven pyramids with nine levels: five by the Aryans Govinda, three by the Jai Jawan, two by the Kokan Nagar and one by the Yash Govinda and the Kopatcha.

The Dahi Handi was experienced as a real party. People took to the streets in Mumbai from the early hours of the morning to see the hundreds of meetings that took place everywhere, some crowded, but others in small streets or urban parks. As is also usual at this time of the Monsoon, the rain also made an appearance for a good part of the day, also attempts at the 10-story pyramid.