Milk contest marks Mahi’s birthday
- State capital celebrates in style as Team India ODI skipper turns 27
PUPUL CHATTERJEE
M.S. Dhoni's mother Devki cuts a cake to celebrate her son's birthday as father Pansingh (in cap) looks on at a programme at Ashok Nagar in Ranchi
Ranchi, July 7: The capital celebrated Team India ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s birthday with much hype and hoopla. Of all the events, the “Doodh Piyo” contest organised by a retail outlet in the city jointly with a private FM channel and mobile service provider to mark the occasion was an instant hit.
About 400 people, mostly youngsters, participated in the event amid a huge gathering just outside the retail shop’s entrance. The highest volume of milk consumed by a participant in the contest was 2.5 litres.
Yash Suneja from the marketing section of the store said: “We had not anticipated such a huge turnout and had arranged only 30 litres of milk for the contest. Thus, only 400 people could participate in the event and the rest had to go back disappointed as we ran out of milk.”
participants at the Doodh Piyo competition organised at a department store to celebrate Mahi's birthday. Picture by Hardeep Singh
The contest was conducted in batches of three. The person gulping the maximum volume of milk was declared the winner and walked away with chocolates and gift hampers from the store.
Suneja added that the popularity of the event could be gauged from the total footfall in the store today — around 20,000.
The other contest, which received tremendous response was the Birthday SMS contest organised by the same retail outlet. Of all the participants wishing Dhoni on turning 27, 10-year-old fan Mohini walked away with the winner’s prize.
She was called to the outlet on Monday to cut a 15-pound cake resembling a cricket pitch and mark the beginning of the celebrations at the store. Mohini also walked away with a cricket bat, ball and chocolates.
Mahi’s birthday was also celebrated by the Uttarakhand Bhratri Sangh, a body headed by his father Pansingh Dhoni. Pansingh and Dhoni’s mother Devki Dhoni began the celebrations by cutting the cake. Cultural events in which the members of the Sangh participated followed. participants at the Doodh Piyo competition organised at a department store to celebrate Mahi's birthday. Picture by Hardeep Singh