On Janmashtami, the Hindu festival celebrating Krishna's birth, demand for milk, curd, and butter increased sharply, and all shop stock was sold within two hours. ^[1] Thousands of people joined the Dahi Handi festivities in Mumbai, turning the city streets into arenas for the celebration. ^[2] Mahesh Jadhav, an 11-year-old boy from Dahisar East, succumbed to injuries after falling from a human pyramid during Janmashtami 2025. ^[3] Sangeeta Jadhav, mother of 11-year-old Mahesh Jadhav, told mid-day that she does not want anyone else to lose a child like she did during the previous year's Dahi Handi celebrations. ^[4] Despite customers placing orders days in advance, a shortage of milk persisted during the festival. ^[5] Shopkeepers said that orders for goods began arriving two days before Janmashtami. ^[6] Shopkeepers said they brought several times more milk because of the advance orders. ^[7] Hundreds of clay pots, referred to as 'handis', were suspended in residential societies, at busy intersections, and in open grounds across the metropolis. ^[8] During the previous year's Dahi Handi celebrations, two deaths and 278 injuries were reported across Mumbai. ^[9] Sangeeta Jadhav urged participants to be very careful while climbing on top of one another and to think of their families because they suffer the most if something happens. ^[10] The preparations for the Dahi Handi festival involved placing hundreds of pots in various locations including residential societies and busy intersections. ^[11] The suspension of the clay pots took place after midnight on September 5, 2026. ^[12]