Why we stoop so low that we need show of nudity to popularize Govinda ?
Come Bhadrapad month, it is time to celebrate Lord Krishna's birthday on Krishn Paksh Ashtmee, which incidentally fallen this year today.
There are many ways to celebrate this occasion, lacs of people like me fast for whole day and accept their food only after Krishan Janm around 12 in the night, Krishan temples are overcrowded with devotees offering prayers, chanting Krishan bhajans. There are many devout Krishan bhakts who perform jagran for whole night chanting Hare Kishana Hare Rama.
But city of Bombay has its own way of celebrating this occasion, people call it with many name Govinda, Dahi Handi, Dahi Kala. Govinda is on next day , it is a real celebration of Krishna's birthday. The roads, lanes are decked to Dahi Handi event. Whole city comes on road to be a part of it.
An earthen pot full of Dahi is fixed at a particular height on road with help of ropes. Groups of young boys called Govinda Pathiks gather below this earthen pot and form human pyramid structure the boy on the top break the handi, the challenge is very rewarding now in monetary terms also, the cash prize may be from 10,000 to 1 crore. It is the time of gender equality so now female groups also participate in the money chasing race.
How this Dahi Handi started in Bombay, it is a subject of research, but one thing is very sure that it started with lot of religious ferver, noble intention to bring younger generation into religious stream. Graudally, it has become a part of city's cultural ethos. Over the years, Govinda is highjacked by political class, it is now an effective tool to connect with local community, show their financial as well as muscle power.
Dahi Handi event also draws lot of media attention, newspapers, radio, TV all these medium give good coverage. Now news channels are in three digits vying each other in the race of TRP, for two three days, this event provide them good TRP showing live coverage of prominent Dahi Handi on streets and roads.. There is a lot of secret rivalry and Dahi Handi Mahotsav organisers (like Ganesh Mandals) are competing with each other to be the biggest and most popular Dahi Handi Mahotsav in the city. To add to their woes, many news TV channels have begun "charging" them for coverage and will only cover those Mandals who "pay" them for coverage or mileage.
To add spice to the event and hype up their own Dahi Handi, one organizer approached aspirant actor Gehana Vasisth's secretary Rajesh Singh with an innovative idea - Gehana Vasisth( Dal Men Kuch Kala Hai Item Number and few controversies like stripping) for would be invited for the event as a celebrity. There as the rhythm picked up, she would "suddenly get into the mood and start stripping at public places)as the Govindas successfully reached higher and higher. For every level reached, Gehana Vasisth would remove one piece of her garments in full public view. And as and when the Handi was broken, Gehana Vasisth would take it all off just down to her bare necessities or inner wear in the presence of a TV news channel camera and popping flash bulbs. Overnight, the Mandal and Gehana Vasisth would be instant celebrities all over India. While this entire stunt was pre-planned, it would have to be executed as though Gehana Vasisth did it on her own free will and in the spirit of the moment.
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And the price tag - hold your breath folks - Gehana Vasisth was offered a whopping Rs 20 lakh for an approximate ten minute live strip tease in front of hundreds of cheering Govindas and one TV channel - which was promised exclusivity - and whose TRPs would soar through the roof when this footage was aired. We have learnt that one national TV channel was also part of this plan and the Rs 20 lakh would have been partly contributed by that particular Tv channel for exclusive rights to the footage. We have also learnt that 3 more item girls or strippers were also approached with similar publicity stunt strategies. Another model was approached to fake a wardrobe malfunction. It remains to be seen which drama queen pulls off which stunt this season.
There are many ways to celebrate this occasion, lacs of people like me fast for whole day and accept their food only after Krishan Janm around 12 in the night, Krishan temples are overcrowded with devotees offering prayers, chanting Krishan bhajans. There are many devout Krishan bhakts who perform jagran for whole night chanting Hare Kishana Hare Rama.
But city of Bombay has its own way of celebrating this occasion, people call it with many name Govinda, Dahi Handi, Dahi Kala. Govinda is on next day , it is a real celebration of Krishna's birthday. The roads, lanes are decked to Dahi Handi event. Whole city comes on road to be a part of it.
An earthen pot full of Dahi is fixed at a particular height on road with help of ropes. Groups of young boys called Govinda Pathiks gather below this earthen pot and form human pyramid structure the boy on the top break the handi, the challenge is very rewarding now in monetary terms also, the cash prize may be from 10,000 to 1 crore. It is the time of gender equality so now female groups also participate in the money chasing race.
How this Dahi Handi started in Bombay, it is a subject of research, but one thing is very sure that it started with lot of religious ferver, noble intention to bring younger generation into religious stream. Graudally, it has become a part of city's cultural ethos. Over the years, Govinda is highjacked by political class, it is now an effective tool to connect with local community, show their financial as well as muscle power.
Dahi Handi event also draws lot of media attention, newspapers, radio, TV all these medium give good coverage. Now news channels are in three digits vying each other in the race of TRP, for two three days, this event provide them good TRP showing live coverage of prominent Dahi Handi on streets and roads.. There is a lot of secret rivalry and Dahi Handi Mahotsav organisers (like Ganesh Mandals) are competing with each other to be the biggest and most popular Dahi Handi Mahotsav in the city. To add to their woes, many news TV channels have begun "charging" them for coverage and will only cover those Mandals who "pay" them for coverage or mileage.
To add spice to the event and hype up their own Dahi Handi, one organizer approached aspirant actor Gehana Vasisth's secretary Rajesh Singh with an innovative idea - Gehana Vasisth( Dal Men Kuch Kala Hai Item Number and few controversies like stripping) for would be invited for the event as a celebrity. There as the rhythm picked up, she would "suddenly get into the mood and start stripping at public places)as the Govindas successfully reached higher and higher. For every level reached, Gehana Vasisth would remove one piece of her garments in full public view. And as and when the Handi was broken, Gehana Vasisth would take it all off just down to her bare necessities or inner wear in the presence of a TV news channel camera and popping flash bulbs. Overnight, the Mandal and Gehana Vasisth would be instant celebrities all over India. While this entire stunt was pre-planned, it would have to be executed as though Gehana Vasisth did it on her own free will and in the spirit of the moment.
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Ready to bare all for some mal(read money)at Dahi Handi
And the price tag - hold your breath folks - Gehana Vasisth was offered a whopping Rs 20 lakh for an approximate ten minute live strip tease in front of hundreds of cheering Govindas and one TV channel - which was promised exclusivity - and whose TRPs would soar through the roof when this footage was aired. We have learnt that one national TV channel was also part of this plan and the Rs 20 lakh would have been partly contributed by that particular Tv channel for exclusive rights to the footage. We have also learnt that 3 more item girls or strippers were also approached with similar publicity stunt strategies. Another model was approached to fake a wardrobe malfunction. It remains to be seen which drama queen pulls off which stunt this season.
Gehna without any Kapda or Gehna
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