Pune Dahi Handi Celebrations to Go DJ-Free This Year, 30 Mandals Opt for Traditional Festivities

Pune, 3rd September 2026: The soundscape of Dahi Handi celebrations in Pune will be markedly different this year, with several major mandals deciding to keep DJs out of the festivities and instead rely on traditional instruments such as dhol-tasha, halgi, band and sandal.

Punit Balan, festival chief and trustee of Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Mandal, said the celebrations would be held in a traditional format, with mardani khel and other cultural performances also forming part of the programme. Sound systems will be used only within the prescribed limits for public address systems, he said.

Around 30 mandals are expected to assemble at Lal Mahal for the celebrations. The programme will be held from 3 pm to 10 pm, during which 20 to 21 Govinda troupes are expected to pay their respects. Women’s Govinda teams are also expected to participate, Balan said.

The celebrations will feature instruments associated with the Warkari tradition along with other traditional forms of music. Organisers said preparations for the procession and other programmes have begun as Govinda troupes and mandal workers step up arrangements ahead of the festival.

At the Hutatma Babu Genu Trust’s Dahi Handi programme, episodes from Lord Krishna’s childhood will be presented on a 30-by-30-foot screen, said trust president Balasaheb Marne. The Dahi Handi will be broken at 9.30 pm, he said.

Meanwhile, the Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal will install a 20-foot idol depicting the Radha-Krishna murti at Prem Mandir in Vrindavan as part of its celebrations.

The decision by major mandals to keep DJs out comes amid the wider debate over high-decibel music during public festivals and the enforcement of noise pollution norms in the city.