By Kulbhushan Kain
By the time you read this article the celebrations of Holi would have been over. It is one of the greatest and most colourful festivals- not only in India but the world. It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna. Additionally, the day signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it commemorates the victory of Lord Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu. Holi originated and is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent, but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora-in particular in the Caribbean, Fiji and Mauritius.
Holi also celebrates the arrival of spring in India, the end of winter. It is also an invocation for a good spring harvest season. In 17th century literature, it was identified as a festival that celebrated agriculture, commemorated good spring harvests, and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time to enjoying spring’s abundant colours and bid farewell to winter. To many Hindus, Holi festivities mark an occasion to reset and renew ruptured relationships, end conflicts, and rid themselves of accumulated emotional impurities from the past. It also, symbolically signifies the legend of Holika. The night before Holi, bonfires are lit in a ceremony known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Little Holi. People gather near fires, sing and dance. Children and youth spray coloured powder solutions (gulal) at each other, laugh, and celebrate, while adults smear dry coloured powder (abir) on each other’s faces. Visitors to homes are served with Holi delicacies such as gujhia, shakkarpaare, matri, and dahi vada.
It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (full moon day) falling on the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which falls around the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar.
Holi is also known as Dol Jatra (“swing festival”) and Bôshonto Utshôb in Bengal (West Bengal, Odisha, and Bangladesh), Phakua in Assam, Phāgu Pūrṇimā in the hilly region of Nepal, Fagua in eastern Uttar Pradesh, western Bihar, and Jharkhand.
It has been a long time since I last celebrated Holi – for various reasons. However, it is not that I have never celebrated it. In fact, when I used to celebrate Holi, I used to do so wildly!
My first memories of Holi celebrations go back to the mid-sixties. I had a good friend Yudhister Munjal whose father I think owned the Natraj Cinema. We were both in the same class and travelled in the same school bus. We were very fascinated by the fact that on Holi people who were strangers would chase each other and throw colour and water. We decided to do the same. Yudhister came over to my house, we filled a bucket with coloured water, and “loaded” the “pichkarees” and went to the main road. We expected crowds rushing towards us and us meandering our way through them throwing and avoiding colour! Nothing happened! In the end – we ended up emptying the pichkarees on each other!
By the time I went to Delhi University, my enthusiasm had waned. In the University, the way Holi was celebrated in the Hostel was alien to me. Small pits were dug up, a slimy mixture of clay and colour was concocted, and one by one everyone was dipped in and out of it! If one dared to resist – he was dipped naked! As a fresher, in the first year, I was caught unawares. However, in the second year, I tried to be clever. I locked myself in my room. My luck soon ran out. In the middle of the celebrations someone asked, “Where is Kain?”
I heard someone say, “He must be in his room. I saw him during breakfast and he must have locked himself in.”
Then began ‘Operation Flush Him Out”. Buckets of water were thrown under my door in an attempt to flood the room. I held my ground. Then someone said, “Lets break the lock. Bring a hammer!”
I sat inside like a frightened fugitive. When the first blow of the hammer hit my lock, I gave up and came out. What happened next is best left to the imagination. Not only did the colour not go away for a week – but my back ached because some boys (wrestlers) from Haryana whipped me with ropes dipped in water- a modification of the “Lathmar” form of celebration from Mathura where instead of ropes, sticks are used (Lathmar Holi). Of course, all of this was in good spirit!
When I started working – I could dictate how I wanted to celebrate Holi. When I became the Principal – I could not avoid Holi because I had to partake in kick-starting the celebrations and distributing “gujjias”. Once in a while I would do a jig to the tunes of “Rang Barse”.
But my request was clear – only a tilak was acceptable to me.
It worked well. Till my final Holi celebration at DPS Jaipur in 2018…!
After the staff had applied the tika, I went to my office to clean the colour. When I was walking the corridor to go home, I met Sangeeta. She was already plastered with colour (she loves celebrating Holi), and she ran towards me. She had a fistful of colours. A posse of staff followed her.
I sensed I would be coloured!
I requested her, “Sangeeta, I am through – please don’t apply colour on me.”
She looked at me and said, “यार इतने साफ सुथरे, और वो भी होली पे?”
And then the colour riot – I even contemplated running towards my house – but did not have the confidence that my legs would outpace her and the staff. Having failed in my attempts, I reconciled to my fate!
Holi memories will never fade. They should never fade because Holi is a festival of colours and colours signify life.
Belated Happy Holi. I am sure all of you must have enjoyed it!
(Kulbhushan Kain is an award winning educationist with more than 4 decades of working in schools in India and abroad. He is a prolific writer who loves cricket, travelling and cooking. He can be reached at kulbhushan.kain@gmail.com)
