Mumbai, Aug 12 - With swine flu spreading rapidly in Maharashtra, the main opposition party Shiv Sena will celebrate the Janmashtami festival Friday without the popular 'dahi-handi' ritual.

Party executive president Uddhav Thackeray issued an appeal to people to do away with the ritual and have only simple 'puja'. This followed a meeting of top party leaders and Mumbai Mayor Shubha Raul Wednesday morning.

The 'dahi-handi' game where human pyramids are formed to reach a yogurt-filled earthen pot strung high is a huge crowd puller in the state. It re-enacts an episode from the childhood of Lord Krishna, whose birth anniversary is celebrated on Janmashtami.

The meeting also discussed ways to check milling crowds during the festival to control the spread of swine flu, which has claimed 10 lives in the state so far.

Last weekend, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had also appealed to all Janmashtami festival organisers to refrain from crowded celebrations lest it helped the H1N1 virus spread.

He had also appealed to celebrities, especially television and film stars, not to attend 'dahi-handi' celebrations, as their presence could make it major crowd events.

Mumbai's 'dahi-handi' celebrations usually draw large number of people, they are well organised events with pots of money and big glamour involved for the victorious 'Govinda' who breaks the pot.