HOLI - the festival of colors is next Monday, on 1st March. The festival starts on the night of Full Moon Day, Pournima of Phalguna Masam with a bon fire called Khamunni kalchadam. And it is on the next day that is on Padyami day that HOLI is celebrated. Starting from early morning till late in the afternoon family and community members enjoy playing with colored water and color powder. Water in buckets, bottles and pitchkaris (water pistols/pumps) are mixed with red or green or yellow or any other color and sprinkled on one another. Color powders, mostly Gulal are also sprinkled or applied on face during the joyous Holi festival. Holi festival, as I mentioned earlier is not just within the members of a family but one celebrated with friends, neighbors and the community members around. It is regarded as a celebration of unity and brotherhood bonded by different bright colors. It is celebrated in high spirit without any distinction of religion, caste, creed or status.
Several shops selling Holi-colors, water pistols and other toys and equipment to sprinkle colors have already come up all over the Twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. I must shop for the colors at the earliest to avoid the last hour rush.
I shall write more about the festival in my next post. In the meantime you may see and enjoy our old Holi - photographs some of which are over a quarter century old!
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