One
can feel the essence of Holi colours
in the air. Holi, the festival of colours, holds
different meanings for different people but traditionally
it marks the end of winter and the welcome of summer
with colours. But for Ruchika a college student
it is fun time. "We all friends get together
one night before Holi and have a pool party, booze
and dance. On Holi we usually go to a friend's farm
house and play holi. We use mostly Paaka rang (permanent
colour). And of course eggs and tomatoes. Later
everybody is thrown into the swimming pool. The
artificial colours is not enough for some people
so take in the rang of bhang in them. They like
to play with natural stuff, she says.
"It has been such a long time that I have
not played with colours. My friends and I play with
mud and grease. And it is a compulsion that everybody
has to take a dip in the tank. Obviously we have
bhang and call some dholak wallas (drum beaters)
and then we dance," says Harish a student
and a hostelite of Delhi College of Engineering.
But
still some like to celebrate it the traditional
way. Some like to burn Holika the night before
Holi. "Holi is a festival of togetherness.
I don't like to get rowdy. I like to sit down and
relax with my family and friends. Of course course
little bit gulal (colour) also but no paaka rang.
After all holi is to enjoy not to hurt," says
Saxena.
Holi is a festival of fun and everybody irrespective
of cast and creed plays it with vigor. Khooban an
Afghani Muslims love Holi and play it to
the hilt. But some like to be in the confines of
the house and enjoy the luxuries of home. Seth family
likes to spend the day with family and friends chatting
and a nice elaborate lunch.
Pooja, a teacher, says, " I hate the colours.
I don't like the mess. I prefer sitting at home
and watching people play from my balcony."
For Delhi city it is an occasion of collective
celebration. The whole of Delhi is decorated with
colours. So many fancy things are displayed in the
markets from traditional pichkaris (water
shooters) to modern shaped pichkaris like
gun, robots, clowns and many more in vibrant colours.
The pavements of the bazaars are covered with sachets
of holi colours, like yellow, red, green, blue,
giving the market a colourful look.
The mihtai wallas (sweet shops) are
busy preparing special holi sweets. And people
buy it in no time. Mrs Bhasin has bought around
two kilos of bhujia and still finds it less.
She says, "During Holi my family eats so
much of sweets. Yeh to bahut thoda hai. Hum sab
ek din mein kha lenge. Aur phir tyohar ke time pe
acha lagta hai." (This is very little and
we will finish it in one day. And during festival
time it is good to eat).
But still in the some households of Delhi people
like to prepare sweets themselves. One such place
is Yadav household in Shahpur Jat, where all the
ladies prepare the mithais themselves. "
Hamare yaan par har saal ghar mein mithai bantee
hai. Hum log desi ghee mein baante hai, aur khoya
bhi ghar mein bhais ke dhudh se banate hai. Paanch
kilo mithai banate hai, kyunki holi ke din sab rishtedar
aate hai aur sab khate hai." (Every year
on Holi we make sweets at home. We make it in pure
oil. The milk based products are made from the buffalo's
milk. Around 5 kilos of sweets are made because
on Holi lot of relatives come to our place.)
Colour is the essential part of Holi. And
most of the people buy them from Chandini Chowk,
where colours are made. Gautam who specially goes
to Chandini Chowk to buy Holi says, "There
is so much of adulteration that I prefer to buy
from here as you get the best colour quality here."
Some buy from the local market. But some like the
fresh colours from the flowers. The Gupta household
still like to play with colours from 'tesu'
(Holi flower). "We play holi at our farm
house in Mehrauli and our servants boil 'tesu' flowers
in cauldrons and then we play holi," says
Mrs Gupta.
Holi is not just a family affair. In fact
it is played with gusto in all the offices, schools
and colleges. Mr Dogra who is employed with a private
firm plays holi with all his colleagues.
"I play holi with everybody including my
boss the day before holi. In the evening we all
get together like a family and put colour on each
other. Then we have tea and crack jokes," he
says.
Similarly Bhaskar, a student of Tiny Tots says,
"I play holi with my friends in school on
choti holi. We put paaka rang on each other. Our
teacher does not allow us that to do that but I
put it on my friends in the bus. We take each other's
water bottles and pour water on each other."
The whole of Delhi is engulfed in the spirit of
Holi. No one minds if you throw water and colours
at anybody. Rather you are greeted with a 'Happy
Holi' wish. One of the best things about Holi
is that it unites everybody, but one should never
forget that Holi is a festival to spread the message
of peace and love around the world without hurting
any anyone's feelings by forcing them to play.
Each of us should remember one thing: Holi ke
din sab mil jate hai...rango mein mil jate hai.
So just enjoy and keep on saying holi hai...holi
hai....
- Avni Sood
12:02:22 PM 
