Easy does itONE banner reads "The world's highest". Another proclaims "The world's most watched". Thousands of spectators throng around streets blaring with loud music; the action is about to begin. Heads poke out from balconies, a few boys are perched on a nearby tree and a phalanx of cameras representing various news channels take position as a commentator introduces the players. The crowd cheers, as a six-year-old child balances himself high above the street on the shoulders of a slightly older mate—who is standing on a swaying pyramid of bodies, two tiers tall. The youngest child’s safety equipment consists of a cycling helmet and a swimming float. The crowd gathered below, at Thane, a suburb of Mumbai, has come hoping to see this team break the world record. It belongs to another Indian team, which managed in 2012 to build a human pyramid that stood 43.79 feet high. This year however there is no chance that any challenger will come close—nor even halfway there.
But this street carnival matters more than the statistics can measure. It celebrates Janmashtami, a Hindu festival to honour Lord Krishna. All over...Continue reading
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