# Maharashtra Dahi Handi festival safety and insurance

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/maharashtra-dahi-handi-festival-safety-and-insurance
> Updated: 2026-09-05T06:05:49.000Z. Sources: 21. Developments: 2.

In August 2026, the Maharashtra state government approved a free insurance scheme for the Dahi Handi festival. The program, funded by the state’s Sports Development Fund, aimed to cover approximately 1.6 million participants, known as goavindas, who are registered through the Maharashtra State Dahi Handi Goavinda Association. The coverage included up to ₹10 lakh for death or total loss of limbs or sight, ₹5 lakh for partial loss, and up to ₹1 lakh for hospital expenses.

Following the celebrations, reports emerged of fatalities and injuries. In Mumbai, a seven-year-old boy, Rudra Kadam, died in Malad West after a brick column collapsed during an informal celebration at the Ekta Welfare Society. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported that at least 376 ‘Govindas’ were injured in Mumbai, with 90 individuals requiring hospital admission and 286 subsequently discharged.

In Pune, 45-year-old Salma Salauddin Pathan died in the Old Sangvi area when a portion of an iron structure used to support loudspeakers collapsed during dismantling. While the incident highlighted risks associated with festival equipment, the deceased’s family has declined to file a formal complaint.

These incidents have prompted authorities and civic bodies to emphasize the necessity of safety measures during traditional celebrations to prevent future accidents involving human pyramids and temporary structures.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-05: Maharashtra Dahi Handi celebrations result in two deaths and hundreds injured

Dahi Handi celebrations in Mumbai and Pune led to two deaths and over 370 injuries as structures collapsed during the Janmashtami festivities in Maharashtra.

21 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pune-woman-killed-in-dahi-handi-structure-collapse

### 2026-08-06: Maharashtra launches free insurance for Dahi Handi participants, up to ₹10 million coverage

Maharashtra will give free insurance to about 1.6 million Dahi Handi participants in 2026, covering up to ₹10 lakh for death or severe injury and up to ₹1 lakh for medical costs.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/maharashtra-launches-free-insurance-for-dahi-handi-participants-up-to-10-million-coverage

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Cite as: Maharashtra Dahi Handi festival safety and insurance. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/maharashtra-dahi-handi-festival-safety-and-insurance