Holi Unholi

I was writing this post when the world around was playing Holi.

The window panes, the furniture in the house and the thoughts in my head are vibrating to the same thumping beats – the 'music' BLARING out of the monstrously sized speakers right outside my home. My' Holi' morning has been kick started with ' khayke paan banaraswala' and 'rang barse bheege chunarwali'. And the decibel levels have surely unlocked passing thoughts that I normally would hesitate to voice. For starters, depending on the decibel level, I realise that it is possible to dislike Amitabh Bachchan's rich baritone. The significance of 'Holi' range from socio-cultural, religious and mythological to biological. Legends about 'Prahalad & Hiranyakashipu' Radha & Krishna', Pootana etc are stories I was fed on, during childhood. I remember reading and re-reading the colourfully illustrated Amar Chitra Katha comics! The legends associated with the festival of Holi are supposed to reassure people, of the power of 'Truth'. The celebrations are supposed to highlight the underlying moral of the ultimate victory of 'good' over 'evil'. Traditional forms of Holi celebrations list Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and Nandgaon – places associated with the birth of Lord krishna. Here, on 'Holi' day, the women used to give the men a tough time! Likewise, in Haryana, every 'Bhabhi' gets social sanction to take revenge for all the 'mischiefs' their 'devars' have done! - called Dulandi Holi. Traditionally attired students decorate the Vishwa Bharti University campus with intricate rangoli and sing songs composed by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore – this is the dignified manner of celebration during 'Basant Utsav' in West Bengal. In Manipur, the centuries old 'Yaosang' festival is celebrated with a special Manipuri dance called ' Thabal Chongba'. The biological significance is interesting too – as winter months give way to the heat of summer, the human body experiences the change, making people feel lazy and sleepy. During Holi, people used to sing loudly and dance briskly to rejuvenate themselves, Besides, the colours, when sprayed have a great positive impact on the body. Liquid and dry natural dyes penetrate the skin and add health and beauty to it! Holi was supposed to bring people together and strengthen the secular fabric of society. I can speak about the Holi celebrations that I have seen. In the 70s and 80s, in metro cities like Mumbai, large groups of mostly teenagers, covered with colour, quite unrecognisable and looking rather wild, would be noisily throwing colour and water on each other. And trying their best to coax those indoors to come out and participate. The occasion even then was an opportunity to 'have fun' aka misbehave in any & every possible way! Holi 2015, as I witness the scenes outdoors from the pristine cleanliness of my home, tells me that the festivities seem to have 'evolved' – apologies for my inability to come up with an appropriate word. Almost every housing colony has electronic sound systems blaring inane Bollywood 'item' songs. 'hungama ho gaya', 'lungi dance', 'gandi baat! 'Men and women, girls and boys, relishing the opportunity to an 'open air shower' under the 'rain dance sprinkler' and for at least 2 hours straight! Most people, soaked to the bone, managing to look indecent, though that may not be the primary intention. And of course, the couple of activities that are basic to ones' acceptance into society – filmy dance with all its nuances and posing for colourful photographs for Facebook! Why am I writing this piece in a tone that indicates a dislike for Holi? I do not dislike Holi or what the festival signifies. While, I am not comfortable with and wouldn't want colour and water thrown on me, I have no problems with others celebrating it with fervor. Living in an upscale neighbourhood, I am disappointed that people with similar education as myself-if not more- and similar background, do not seem to realise that the core values in our society have changed...and changed a lot. Well-intentioned, aware & well-read people, quite a few of whom volunteer for 'social work' to help improve the lives of the unfortunate – [because if we don't who will?], the same people who vociferously argue 'ill effects of radiation from cell sites, arrange for collection of electronic waste to prevent dumping that harms the environment, encourage waste segregation' etc are themselves organising for unfettered noise pollution, large scale wastage of potable water and encouraging the degeneration of cultural values under the guise of 'festive celebration', because it is 'such fun' and the 'in' way to celebrate? Not just Holi, the same manner of celebration extends to 'Navrathri' and 'Ganesh Chaturthi' as well!

What will it take to make modern India celebrate its festivals the traditional way again?

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Originally published in 2015