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Old photo the pathak forming human pyramid on Dahi Handi festival day (Pic/Pic/Shardul Kharpude)
This pathak, known as the Bal Gopal Govinda Utsav Mandal today, was started by textile mill workers residing in the Lalbaug and Byculla areas
The roots of this Pathak trace back to Marathi people from Roha, Mangaon, Chiplun, Sangameshwar, Lanja, and Rajapur in the Raigad and Ratnagiri districts
The pathak's journey has seen a transformation from human pyramids with five tiers to impressive pyramids reaching six or seven layers
Over the years, as Mumbai's urban landscape evolved and many Govinda mandals in the vicinity disbanded, this pathak persevered through countless challenges to uphold the tradition
Shardul Kharpude, a member of the Mandal, recollects the early days when Govindas would traverse different areas of the city to celebrate the Dahi Handi festival. He notes that starting from 1992-93, the Govindas began traveling across Mumbai using trucks and buses for their celebrations
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