Two celebrations this day today!
My little sister’s B’day and Happy Holi!
In around 63 countries of the world the arrival of spring is
welcomed with a holi like colourful festival. (Find out the names for
yourselves if you’re curious!)
Holi time, time to press door bells, time to cajole people
to come out of their houses and join in the revelry, the ensuing laughter,
screaming, shouting, yelling loud talking, friendly targeting of water balloons, spurting colours with water
guns/ rifles. If one wants to bury the hatchet, what better time than this holi festival. Time to hug
each other and forget one’s grouses. The hullabaloo to the beat of the drums! All
this and more a part of Holi celebrations which begins with stockpiling the ammunition
of various colours and filling balloons with water !In the morning usually the celebration is
with wet colours.The bubbly laughter that gurgles up when the expected balloon
comes and hits you. The screeching and shouting when all your pleading of not
throwing coloured water falls on deaf ears and you are soaked, stung to do a quick retaliation. Evening it is with
Gulal i.e. with dry colours.One has to see the magic of smearing or even
putting a little dot on the forehead or cheeks of an acquaintance. The face
lights up into an enchanting and an endearing smile. One can only experience
the depth of feeling by the actual exchange of applying the dry colour(gulal).
For those who like to stay indoors the Television keeps them
entertained with Holi songs from movies-Hindi and regional. The scale of
celebration depicted there is phenomenal.
Parents start the day by preparing their kids for partaking
in the celebrations. Dressing them with suitable clothes that they can discard
later. Smearing crème or oil to protect
their delicate skins from synthetic colours, and also save themselves the trouble
of hours of scrubbing them off their colour.
The event is celebrated on the basis of a Hindu mythological
tale revolving round Hiranyakashyap, his sister Holika and son Prahalad.
However today the festival does not belong to any one caste creed or religion. It is for
anyone who is happy to be happy!
It is imbibed into the culture of our country. It is a day
to welcome the spring in all it’s splendour. There is a melody in the winds
whispering their good wishes. There is a light headedness all around. Children
and all those who have the child in them alive are agog with excitement. No
wonder it is called “playing holi.” It seems as though a new energy is coursing through their being. So infectious
is the enthusiasm that even the non-
players and severe critics of the
festival calling it the dirty festival and giving in minute detail the flip side of
the festival, when caught unawares end
up smiling ear to ear and cribbing join the band wagon! Such is the power of
holi.
Gujjias, Malpuas are the special sweets that mark the day.
Looking like real rainbows we take our car and go for a ride
to see the world around. It looks flamboyant with the flavour of merry making
here, there and everywhere!
The cherry on the icing is the pictures that one randomly
clicked…of weirdest of poses, ludicrous expressions, unrecognizable faces with
an amazing art work of a riot of colours! Happy Holi!
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