Just Walking Around

Brindavan ki Holi Aur Goa’s Shimgotsav---Asli Holi

Just the other day I was watching a rerun of the epic Bollywood blockbuster “Sholay” for the 100^th time , I guess. Some movies you can watch over and over again and it feels better every time you watch them. This cult movie was the only movie in the History of Bollywood to have cassettes of its dialogues flying of the shelf faster than a hot bajia from a food counter. All the characters right from Soorma Bhopali , to the Angarezon ke zamane ka Jailor , to Ramu Kaka , Thakur , to Jai –Veeru to the epitome of villainy or the Baap of all villains “Gabbar” are all house hold names and have become immortal long after the film has taken down from the theaters.

Do you remember the scene in which Gabbar’s henchmen come back defeated from a skirmish with Jai-Veeru and He scowls with a mean look and asks Sambha (the skinny guy who always sit on the Hill top) Holi Kabh Hai ……Kabh hai Holi………

Yes it will be Holi time next week and the festival of colors will hopefully bring real happiness in our lives than our beloved Prime Minister’s promised Acche Din…Jokes apart Holi is truly a festive of joy and happiness.On the occasion of Holi a fire is lit in every big society compound as a token of burning away all the misery and sorrow and starting a new life , a life full of bright colors and happiness. The next day is celebrated as Dhuli vandan or festival of colors where young and old , men women and children enjoy the company of each other and have fun with Abhir- Gullal and other bright colors.

What we celebrate is just a fraction of the real festival. During my early days as a Sales Executive I had been to the land of Lord Krishna in Mathura –Brindavan .I was accompanying my project engineer stationed at Mathura for our Software project at IOCL Mathura. We were put up at a Kothi a ground plus two storied house of an Class 4 employee Mr.Ramgopal Yadav of IOCL refinery. A tall lanky fellow working as an electric technician at the refinery. His family of 4 would reside on the ground floor which was a 3 BHK unit .The leasing of upper rooms of his house being his extra income. The upper story included a 2 BHK unit with a big balcony facing the wide street in Mathura. The bedrooms had huge coolers –those ancient devices pre-historic to the modern AC’s. They were needed during the summers to cool the rooms so that you could sleep , else you would get fried in the heat .The weather outside would touch temperature close to 45-48deg Celsius during daytime and around 35-38deg Celsius. The electricity to these items of luxury was tapped illegally using local Katyiabaaz who would tap the local electric pole with an ingenious metal hook.

During my stay I was fortunate to see the Holi celebration in this land of Krishna. Holi celebration in Brijbhoomi starts a week before the actual day of the festival and continue for a few days after Holi.An enactment of beating up of men folk by the women folk symbolizing , beating of Krishna and his Gwala’s by the Gopi’s of Nandgaon is performed on the day Holi. With Holi songs playing in the background, women beat up these men with sticks as they try to protect themselves with improvised protective gear.This is the famous “Lathmar Holi”.The Holi with Colors can be experienced at the Bankey Bihari Temple in Brindavan. The hub of Holi celebrations in Brindavan is the Bankey Bihari temple. The temple, built in the 19th century, has four gates (three for entry and one for exit) and is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The season for Holi in Bankey Bihari starts off with Phoolon ki Holi where holi is played with flowers and ends with the main festival where colour and gulal are thrown. The entire temple complex is smeared in shades of pink even the air is filled with this gulal thrown by the locals celebrating the festival. Remembering those scenes of fun and frolic with these simple folks enjoying the festival of colors brings a smile to my face even today.

Another place where Holi is celebrated in its traditional spirit is Goa. Though I personally have not experienced it , I have been itching to go there hearing of the celebrations from my brother –in –law Jagdish Katkar. The Holi is this sun kissed region is known as Shimgo or Shigmo. The festival is celebrated mostly by the masses following all religious traditions. As expected from the Goans, the festival is accompanied with fanfare. Performance on drumbeats and epic enactment of mythology are religiously followed. Vivid and vibrant colours of gulal and neel are abundantly used. Shigmotav is highlighted with performances of troupes in the form of parades and cultural dramas. At dusk, huge effigies are taken in processions and prizes given away.

The 14-day celebrations of Shigmo coincide with Holi celebrations all over the country. For a good part of March, the streets of Goa transform into a cultural center full of dance and drama. The Shigmo festival is significant in many ways. It commemorates the homecoming of the warriors who had left at the end of Dussera to fight the invaders. It is also the spring festival of Goa where farmers celebrate the harvest season. There are two forms of Shigmo celebrations in Goa. Dhakto Shigmo and Vhadlo Shigmo. While Dhakto Shigmo is generally celebrated by farmers and the rural population, Vhadlo Shigmo has a broader appeal and is celebrated by everyone together. Dhakto Shigmo is more about the singing, dancing and procession on the streets while Vhadlo is to do with celebrations inside temples. The processions carried out during Shigmotasav are characterized by colorful umbrellas or dindis, modern floats depicting ancient Hindu mythological episodes, and folk dancers in traditional costumes. One of the dances performed is the Ghode morni or the horse dance and the Phugdi dance.

Shigmo and Holi make Goa extremely happening and convivial during March. Not only do you get a slice of Goan culture, you also get to interact with locals, play the festival of colors with them and participate in various Holi events all across Goa

So next time you want to try a different experience during the festival of colors do try visiting these special places be it Mathura-Brindavan or Goa during Holi or Shimgo…..And have a time of your life….

Wishing all my readers a Happy and a Safe Holi

PS: Did you know there are other places in the World where similar celebrations with either bright colors or water or even a vegetable like Tomatoes is carried out.

Water Fight in Thailand - As Thai New Year arrives, it is welcomed with the world's biggest water fight. Thai people and tourists indulge in water fights, approaching each other with water balloons. This festival, held between April 13 and April 15, envisages the concept of cleansing with water in order to purify and renew.

Colour Music Festival in Texas - Colour Jam, a colourful music festival was held in Texas in 2015. The festival featured live music concert, colour throws and colour fights.

The Colour Run in London - One can get a taste of Holi in London, where 'The Colour Run' festival takes place. Participants run in a five-kilometre street, wearing a white shirt and as the colours are sprayed at them they, get covered from head to toe with every kilometre of the course. The event takes place in the cities of London, Manchester , Glasgow and Birmingham. 

Life In Colour in Florida - One of the biggest colour festivals, 'Life In Colour' started out as a college festival in Florida in 2011, later progressing into a worldwide colour party.

Color Festival in Kiev , Ukrain -The most colorful event, which is eagerly expected by a lot of Kiev residents and tourists - Holi colors festival. Yes, the main feature of the festival will be paint. All the participants will be able to shower each other with bright colors, thus giving a smile, a laugh and a loud outburst of emotion around and the feeling that there is no monotony of everyday life and everything is bright and wonderful.

And finally La Tomatina in Spain --- is a festival that is held in the Valencian town of Bunol a town located in the East of Spain, in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes.