Muslims take part in Gokulashtami in Mumbai

MUMBAI - Members of Muslim community at Dadar and Thane here, celebrated the festival of Gokulashtami (birth of Hindu God Krishna), joining the Hindu devotees in the revelries on Thursday.

Gokulashtami also known as Janmashtami signifies the birth of Lord Krishna, revered by Hindus as incarnation of Vishnu.

“The Govinda festival of Mumbai is not just restricted to any caste or religion. It is a big festival for the people of Mumbai. People from all the religions and faiths take part in this festival with great love and enthusiasm,” said Sunil Shinde, an organiser of the Gokulashtami celebrations.

For decades the practice has been tieing one side of the rope of a pot filled with curd between a mosque and a building where Hindus and Muslims are living together.

“Every year we celebrate all the festivals together, whether it is Janmashtami, Dussera, Deepavali, Eid or Ramazan. We celebrate every festival together with love and brotherhood,” said Hajibhai, a Muslim resident of Dadar.

In Thane people of different faiths took part with much enthusiasm in numerous Govinda Dahi Handi celebrations.

At one of the locations, the Dahi Handi was tied at a height of 40 feet.

The participants who attempted by forming human pyramids to reach to the pots had to endure buckets of water splashed on them from the windows and balconies of adjoining buildings.

“We, at this festival give the real colour of Maharashtra. The colour, which goes beyond religion, which goes beyond caste, beyond creed and beyond regionality. We want to spread the message of Maharashtrian soil that we respect love of prayers and whosoever comes, we are ready to lift them,” said Vijendra Awaas, organiser of the festival celebrations.

The prize money for breaking the pots filled with curd and butter were in proportion to the heights as high as rupees 3.1 million. By Raziq Khan (ANI)