Bhosari: Monalisa, Kumbh Mela's viral sensation, attended a Dahi Handi event in Pimpri-Chinchwad's Bhosari on Saturday. On Saturday, the whole country celebrated Krishna Janmashtami. In Maharashtra, it is particularly famous that this festival is celebrated with the Dahi Handi event, where a human tower is built and a pot placed 15–20 feet or more above the ground is broken.
In the Dahi Handi event conducted by a local group, Monalisa, the famous garland girl from Kumbh Mela 2025, attended as one of the chief guests. A video of her appearance was shot and has gone viral on social media.
Full name Monalisa Bhosale, originally from Indore, became popular in Kumbh Mela 2025 when a video of her selling rudraksha malas went viral on social media. Her facial features, including dusky complexion, amber eyes, and overall structure, took netizens by storm.
She gained so much popularity that people hounded her for selfies, impacting her ability to sell goods. Her family took her away from Kumbh Mela for her protection. However, since then, her fame has grown, and she attends many events nationwide as a guest.
'Pushpa' fame Sreeleela graces Wakad's Dahi Handi event
Meanwhile, in Wakad's Dahi Handi event, Pushpa 2: The Rule fame Sreeleela also attended as a chief guest. Her performance in the song "Kissik" made her famous across the country. Multiple mandals in Pimpri-Chinchwad tried to celebrate Dahi Handi by inviting famous personalities. Each mandal was able to gather crowds of thousands for their events, showing the popularity this celebration has.
Groups clash and stampede in Pune
However, the whole festival was marred by a clash between two groups during Pune's Dahi Handi celebrations, marking a violent incident on the holy day. A stampede-esque situation occurred when two groups clashed at Belbaug Chowk near Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple in Pune's Budhwar Peth area. No injuries have been reported so far.
