High Court told To Hear Plea Against Age On Janmashtmi 'Dahi-Handi' Ceremony

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Ahead of Janmashtami, the Supreme Court today remanded back to the Bombay High Court a plea of the Maharashtra government challenging its order capping the height of the human pyramid and barring participation of minors in the famous 'Dahi-handi' festival. 

 A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and R Banumathi sent the matter back to the high court asking it to consider the plea afresh in the wake of material furnished by the state government, several NGOs and individuals.

 The bench said the matter would be taken up by the Bombay High Court on August 7. The state government has told the Supreme Court that it has put several security measures in place and therefore, the age cap should be relaxed. 

 Dahi Handi is a ritual which will be observed during 'Janmashtami' on August 14 this year across Maharashtra and nearby states. 

 The top court had on August 17, 2016 refused to relax conditions set by the High Court like barring youths below 18 years of age from participating in the 'Dahi-Handi' festival in Maharashtra and capping the height of the human pyramid at 20 feet.

Few days later, a Mumbai-based organisation had sought modification of the order saying capping the height of human pyramid would take the "adventure" out of the festival which has become a "popular and competitive" sport in the western megapolis.

 The court, however, had refused to modify its order saying this ritual sometimes caused serious injuries to participants, particularly spinal cord injuries.

 The Supreme Court had on August 10 revived a plea challenging a Bombay HC order restricting the height of human pyramids to 20 feet for 'Dahi-Handi' ritual, saying it needed to hear the PIL petitioner before passing any order.

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