The annual “Basantutsav”, which organizes various cultural and sports events, quite popular amongst the citizens of Rishikesh.
Among many who wait for this annual event are a number of youngsters who eagerly await the annual ‘matki phod ‘competition.
Although, it is unusual to hear about the ‘matkti phod’ event at this time of the year, as it is a famous sporting event held at the time of ‘Shri Krishna Janamastmi’ in the state of Maharashtra.
However, the event, sponsored by ACC Ltd, in Rishikesh, attracts mostly school children who start practicing it well in advance.
The market area at Jhanda Chowk is fully packed before the game begins. The atmosphere is filled with the sound of drums and ‘Govinda’ songs, adding electric drama to the air.
The game begins with the qualifying round, with the boys putting up a great show of their team skills, balancing acumen and practice.
As the event proceeds, and the height of the bell is raised, subsequently raising the difficulty level.
Only the best team survives in the final round, where the difficulty level is raised by timing how long the participants take to form the human pyramid.
This year, the audience was awestruck to see the winning team ring the bell at the height of 21 feet, in just 17 seconds. The winning team was congratulated with several rounds of applause, and they later broke into song and dance themselves.
Kudos to the event organizers who have given young boys a platform to showcase their talent and teach them the value of teamwork.
Seeing the level of performances getting better every year, the event sure to gain popularity in the coming years.