In Bhilwara, the gateway city to Mewar known for its textile trade, the Krishna Janmashtami celebrations do not wrap up in a single day. Two days after Janmashtami, the historic Shri Dudhadhari Gopal Temple near Sanganeri Gate marks Nandotsav with its signature matki phod leela, the ritual pot breaking play, and this year the courtyard once again filled with devotees. The temple has kept up this custom for the past 51 years, drawing large crowds who come specifically to watch it unfold. Alongside the pot breaking, the celebrations included a dahi handi leela, devotional badhai songs and a mallakhamb display, with young men dressed as gwal baals, Krishna's cowherd companions, adding colour to the occasion by performing the matki phod leela themselves.
A ritual that has held for 51 years
Kalyan Sharma, the temple's chief priest, said the custom of holding the matki phod and mallakhamb leela on Nandotsav, the second day after Janmashtami, goes back decades and is observed with the same enthusiasm every year. He said Nandotsav holds special standing in the temple's traditions, and it is precisely these events, the pot breaking together with the pole climbing, that pull in the largest crowds of devotees. Every year, he said, large numbers of people travel here just to watch the spectacle. The temple grounds were awash in devotion and festivity that day, as devotees took darshan of Bhagwan Gopal and celebrated the joy of Janmashtami. Both Janmashtami and Nandotsav at the Dudhadhari Gopal Temple are observed according to the Nimbark tradition.
Climbing a 25 foot greased pole
According to Sharma, the mallakhamb contest has young men dressed as cowherds attempt to climb a 25 foot tall pole that is first coated with multani mitti, or fuller's earth, and oil to make it slippery. During the contest, participants also try to grab coins, dry fruits and other items tied to the pole, while onlookers keep spraying water on the climbers to hold them back. That contest is what keeps the event thrilling and keeps the crowd engaged through the display. What began as a purely religious ritual has now grown into a cultural landmark for the people of Bhilwara, who turn out every year with visible pride to watch it.
Modelled on Vrindavan's Prem Mandir
The Shri Dudhadhari Gopal Temple at Sanganeri Gate was built in the architectural style of Vrindavan's Prem Mandir, which is why Janmashtami itself is observed here a day later than usual, with Nand Mahotsav following in the same sequence the next day. Both the temple's design and the way its festivals are staged mirror the Vrindavan style, which is part of what makes the shrine stand out for local residents. Every year, large numbers of devotees travel from across the Mewar region specifically to take part in this Nandotsav, and the matki phod and mallakhamb combination has become the single biggest draw of the celebration for them. Carried forward across generations, the ritual is now seen as part of Bhilwara's own identity.
