A handi (Hindi: हांड़ी) is a cooking basin made from

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

(pot) originating in the

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n subcontinent. It is utilised primarily in Indian,

Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...

and

Bangladeshi Bangladeshis ( ) are the citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the Bay of Bengal, eponymous bay. Bangladeshi nationality law, Bangladeshi citizenship was fo ...

cooking. This vessel is deep and has a broad mouth, and since there are a wide variety of dishes cooked throughout the

n subcontinent using the handi, their names vary too, symbolising its use – such as Chicken Handi, Handi

Paneer Paneer (), is a fresh acid-set cheese, common in cuisine of South Asia, made from cow milk or buffalo milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice. Pa ...

, or Handi Komdi. Due to the vast differences in language and culture from region to region in the

n subcontinent, differing names are given to the handi. This includes ''tasla'', ''tasli'', ''karahi'', ''degchi and ahuna.'' The handi is also physically likened to

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

beanpot A beanpot is a deep, wide-bellied, short-necked vessel used to cook bean-based dishes. Beanpots are typically made of ceramic, though some are made of other materials, such as cast iron. The relatively narrow mouth of the beanpot minimizes evapo ...

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

olla An olla is a ceramic jar, often unglazed, used for cooking stews or soups, for the storage of water or dry foods, or for other purposes like the irrigation of olive trees. ''Ollas'' have short wide necks and wider bellies, resembling beanpots or ...

s'', and

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

'' soupières'', which are utilised in similar fashion to the handi in regards to cooking. It is also a major component of the

Dahi Handi Dahi Handi (also known as Gopal Kala or Utlotsavam) is an entertainment and Competition, competitive event associated with Krishna Janmashtami, the Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna. During the event, which takes place during Augus ...

festival that is celebrated annually to mark the celebration of the birth of

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

– a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

God.

Uses of the handi

The handi is utilised mainly for cooking purposes, especially for slow-cooking. For example, when any dish is cooked in the handi – the lid is sealed to it, using dough so steam cannot escape, preserving the nutrients in the food. In turn this also allows for the food to be cooked using its own water content, accentuating its flavour and tang.

Dishes cooked in the handi

There are many dishes that are cooked using the Handi. Many of the dishes’ names actually incorporate the word ‘Handi’ into it. Some of these dishes include: * Handi

Biryani Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating in South Asia, made with rice, meat (chicken, goat, lamb, beef) or seafood (prawns or fish), and spices. To cater to vegetarians, the meat or seafood can be substituted with vegetables or pane ...

* Handi

Khichdi ''Khichdi'' or ''khichri'' (, , , , Odia: ଖେଚୁଡି) is a dish in South Asian cuisine made of rice and lentils (''dal'') with numerous variations. Variations include ''bajra'' and mung ''dal'' ''khichri''. In Indian culture, in ...

* Diwani Handi * Handi

* Handi Komdi * Handi Corn Sabzi * Laziz Lamb Handi * Khade Masala Ka Ghost

Significance of the Dahi Handi festival

The

festival is a

festive event, that occurs to celebrate the birth of

Deity), which is also known as

Krishna Janmashtami Krishna Janmashtami (), also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. In certain Hindu texts, such as the '' Gita Govinda ...

. The festival is held annually around August to September, with dates varying year to year.Significance of Dahi Handi on Krishna Krishna Janmashtami

The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...

. (2020). Retrieved 4 September 2020Melton, J. (2011). In Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations (1st ed., p. 459). ABC-CLIO.Roy, C. (2005). In Traditional festivals : A Multicultural Encyclopedia (1st ed., pp. 213–215). Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.

is believed to be the eighth avatar of the Lord

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

, who was born to get

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

saved from the cruel king

Kamsa Kamsa (, ) was the tyrant ruler of the Vrishni kingdom, with its capital at Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura. He is variously described in Hindu texts, Hindu literature as either a human or an asura; The Puranas describe him as an asura, while ...

. He was born of

’s sister;

Devaki Devaki (Sanskrit: देवकी, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Devakī'') is a character in Hindu texts, Hindu literature, most noted for being the mother of the god Krishna. She is one of the seven daughters of ...

, and her husband

Vasudeva Vasudeva (; Sanskrit: वसुदेव ), also called Anakadundubhi (''anakas'' and ''dundubhis'' both refer to ''drums'', after the musicians who played these instruments at the time of his birth), is the father of the Hindu deities Krishna ( ...

. However, in order to survive from

’s cruel and wrathful ways,

was raised by his foster parents Nanda and

Yashoda Yashoda (, ) is the foster-mother of Krishna and the wife of Nanda. She is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the wife of Nanda, the chieftain of Gokul, and the sister of Rohini. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was bo ...

in the village of

Gokul Gokul is a town in the Mathura district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Mathura. History In the ''Viṣṇu Purāṇa'' and '' Bhāgavata Purāṇa'', the term "gokula" does not refer to any specifi ...

Vrindavan Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj, Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance for Hindus who believe that Krishna, one of ...

. There is a legend regarding Lord

was raised in a village in northern

, called Vrindavan, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. He used to love a variety of

dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

products, especially white butter (Makhan) whilst growing up as a child. Because of this, he even used to steal

produce from neighbours in the village, and from surrounding villages too. Due to these activities,

gained the reputation of being a Makhan Chor or Navneet Chor (thief of butter). His foster mother

started to get frustrated by his stealing habits. Thus she told the women in the village and surrounding villages to tie their

produce in a handi, especially Makhan at a height

would not be able to reach.

also used to restrain him as much as she could. However,

using his wit would gather his friends and other children to form a human pyramid (as they do now every year) to break handis hanging on the ceilings in houses of the neighbourhood to steal curd and butter – which is why they have

yoghurt Yogurt (; , from , ; also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its tex ...

or other

hanging in the handi during present festivals. Another legend that exists is that supposedly, the king

during

’s times denied children sufficient nourishment through the seizing of

products, even though there was an abundance of it. Hence,

and his peers would steal and distribute the

products among themselves. A major event that occurs during the festival is the sport that is played – called

. It involves the hanging of the handi that is filled with Dahi (

) at a difficult height to reach – usually at 30 ft. Then young boys and men create teams to form a large

human pyramid A human pyramid is an acrobatics, acrobatic formation of three or more people in which two or more people support a tier of higher people, who in turn may support other, higher tiers of people. People above the bottom tier may kneel or stand on ...

to try to reach and break open the pot. Girls on the ground form circles around the pyramid – sing songs and dance. It often becomes very competitive between teams, with the winning team achieving some sort of prize for breaking the pot. The teams that play this sport are highly dedicated, especially in the states of

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

and

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

. They practice weeks ahead of the festival, often involving lots of focus, coordination and most of all enthusiasm. One

can have as many as nine layers to it. The lower levels or layers have the stronger, sturdier people who can bear lots of mass on their shoulders. As you go up the levels, the lighter the boys get, with the top-most boy being the lightest, smallest and has the most energy who can break open the handi. The persons that form the pyramid are called ‘Govinda Pathak’ or ‘Govinda.’ Every year at this festival, many a team participate mostly in the states of

and

, with the winning team being rewarded usually in the form of money, sweets or other prizes. The

itself usually contains

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by ...

, sometimes milk and some forms of nuts like almonds. Not all attempts for every group are successful. People often end up tumbling down from the top to the bottom of the

, which not only is very painful but can be quite dangerous, sometimes causing serious injury. The community including the neighbourhood where the event occurs gather in large numbers. Many of them throw water balloons, and buckets of water down on the participating teams adding a modern touch to the festival. Due to the atmospheric pressure and excitement leading up to the festival, the teams have lots of adrenaline running through their blood, motivating them to break the

. Prior to and following the ceremony of breaking open the handi, folk dances are performed by members of the team and surrounding people. One such dance ‘Jhaanki,’ which is a special dance to admire Lord

. Others include ‘

Lavani Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra, India. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the beats of ''Dholki'', a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm. Lavani h ...

,’ which are organised and performed to keep the spectators entertained and add variation to the event.

is a form of dance popular in

typically performed to the

Dholki ''dholak'' is a two-headed hand drum, a folk percussion instrument. The dholak is most commonly recognised in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, but can also be found amongst the Indo-Diaspora in countries such ...

, an

n percussion instrument. There are however many issues that have arisen due to this festival. This includes excessive littering by the public every year. There is also lots of congestion in traffic that is caused during the day of the

festival. Another issue is that of significant sound pollution, which is enhanced with large crowds. The biggest issue of this festival is the increased risk of mortality amongst participants. Ever since 2000, because the festival became much more competitive, the number of injuries incurred has risen greatly compared to previous years. To reduce the risk of injury it has been proposed on multiple occasions to lower the height of the handi, whilst also making it mandatory for participants to wear protective gear. In 2014 Maharashtra's government placed a ban on children under the age of 12 participating in the

festival.

References

{{reflist Pakistani food preparation utensils Indian food preparation utensils Cooking vessels Bangladeshi food preparation utensils

Uses of the handi

Dishes cooked in the handi

Significance of the Dahi Handi festival

See also

References