Go Go Go Govinda!!!

MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 03, 2018:  The tune of ‘Govinda ala re’ echoed across Bosco Boys campus as over 100 govindas played ‘matkifod’ on 3^rd September, 2018 from 12pm to 1.30pm on the account of Janmashthami festival. Residential & Technical students took active participation in this outdoor cultural activity.

Gokulashtami is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Explaining the importance of the occasion, one of the boy, Krishna Sharma said, “The festival gets this popular regional name from legend of baby Krishna. According to it, he would seek and steal milk products such as yoghurt and butter and people would hide their supplies high up out of the baby's reach. Krishna would try all sorts of creative ideas in his pursuit, such as making human pyramids with his friends to break these high hanging pots.”

This Krishna legend is played out as a community tradition on Janmashtami, where pots of yoghurt are hung high up, sometimes with tall poles or from ropes hanging from second or third level of a building. Enacting the same, in accordance to the custom, the students of Bosco Boys Home became the "Govindas" climbing one over another and forming a human pyramids in order to break the handis. Just as Lord Krishna and his poor cowherd friends loved to do.  Two milk, curd and butter filled and beautifully decorated ‘Handis’ were hung outside garage open space area of Bosco Boys Home. The Handis were tied 12 metres above the ground. Each to be broken by the technical students and the boys of the orphanage.

Datta Gade one of the staff commented, “It was an occasion of fun and frolic, an absolutely exhilarating time for all the dancing and frolicking young Govindas of Bosco Boys Home as well for the management and staffs. The upbeat mood for the Dahi Handi Celebration was all set by feet tapping songs and the festive wear in which the young students were decked up! Not only did they dance and sing to the tune with their Staffs but also enjoyed the traditional ‘food’ distributed by the well-wishers. As the child Krishna enjoyed the dance with his friends.”

The students and the boys danced joyfully to their heart’s content breaking the Handis as they cheerily echoed, ‘Govinda Ala re Ala’!