Undoubtedly and unarguably, Holi and Diwali are the most celebrated festivals in our country. Since the good old days I remember clearly, Holi has been celebrated in its truest form of free spirit. I have been a simple, sincere but playful kid for the most of my childhood, but Holi is one festival which inaugurates the notorious person in me and I become colourful not only on the outside but also in spirit.
Gulaal is for adults and elders; as kids our version of Holi started and ended with colours and pichkaris, but not ever complete without delectable home-made sweets called gunjiyas. Drenched in coloured water and mouthful of gunjiyas are the story of every Holi celebrations. But there was one time when I got to spend my Holi holidays at my native village, instead of my hometown where I have been brought up and educated. And, fyi, my village lies in distt. Mathura. And if you haven't heard about the Holi celebration in Mathura (or Braj). The true festive nature of Holi is celebrated at Mathura, where Holi continues for 5-7 days and not just one day of colour celebrations.
And when I got to play Holi with my extended family, and that means innumerable cousins, at my big ancestral house in Mathura, one can not even imagine how much fun we had then.
We played with gulaal on one day, second day was for colours, third day was for water puddles (keechad), and all the days were for fun. I remember climbing onto towering ancient roofs to escape from the reach of elder cousins who were hell-bent on transforming my look for the next few days by pasting deep colours as well as the notorious villain - silver paint. I remember using all my limbs jumping from one branch to another of our beloved Neem tree in the courtyard along with another same age cousin brother. I remember another cousin sis throwing gunjiyas to me to satiate my hunger when I could not come down from the tree for the sake of my skin (to save it from oil paint and silver paint).
Oh my! That was really some truesome fun on the occasion of Holi I am not going to forget my whole life. But life has become complex since then and we all have settled in different cities for livelihood. Holi is fast becoming a forgetful festival in today's fast-moving life. The glory is gradually trodding downwards, atleast in urban areas.
But fear no more, my cousins, I am flying back tomorrow to my hometown and will be visiting my village next week before the Holi day and would try to replicate all the fun with my nephews and nieces who are of similar age which I was previously. But this Holi they are not going to get any respite from their ever-good Chacha, ha ha! ;)
We played with gulaal on one day, second day was for colours, third day was for water puddles (keechad), and all the days were for fun. I remember climbing onto towering ancient roofs to escape from the reach of elder cousins who were hell-bent on transforming my look for the next few days by pasting deep colours as well as the notorious villain - silver paint. I remember using all my limbs jumping from one branch to another of our beloved Neem tree in the courtyard along with another same age cousin brother. I remember another cousin sis throwing gunjiyas to me to satiate my hunger when I could not come down from the tree for the sake of my skin (to save it from oil paint and silver paint).
Oh my! That was really some truesome fun on the occasion of Holi I am not going to forget my whole life. But life has become complex since then and we all have settled in different cities for livelihood. Holi is fast becoming a forgetful festival in today's fast-moving life. The glory is gradually trodding downwards, atleast in urban areas.
But fear no more, my cousins, I am flying back tomorrow to my hometown and will be visiting my village next week before the Holi day and would try to replicate all the fun with my nephews and nieces who are of similar age which I was previously. But this Holi they are not going to get any respite from their ever-good Chacha, ha ha! ;)
ये रंग हैं गाढ़े रिश्तों के
इन्हें फ़ीका मत पड़ने दो
इस बार, होली खुल के खेलो
P.S. -- I’m pledging to #KhulKeKheloHoli this year by sharing my Holi memories atBlogAdda in association with Parachute Advansed.
