HOLI NOSTALGIA
‘Where are you leaving for? What time you will be back? Don’t forget to come back and have lunch? Papa will be back by 2. Come on time.’ Shouted mummy.
By the time her sentences finished I was already out. It was way back in 1996 Holi. I was getting ready to go out to be with my friends. Final exams were over for everybody and all the kids were well set to celebrate Holi. Everyday the meeting would start in the morning at 10. Lunch break was in between, from 1.30-2.30.After that, again, the meeting continued. The agenda for the meeting in the afternoon would be how to play Holi in the most happening way. There were various committees. One for deciding the shades of colors, other for devising the strategy for taking revenge from the kids of neighboring colony who used deadly colors to experiment on us in last Holi and many more. The process of collection of wood for Holika Dahan would began at around 4 in the evening. Girls and guys used to compete, which section gets logs of wood faster and in larger number from the neighboring jungle. Now, this jungle surrounded our colony. On the other side of the jungle, stayed villagers, who were adivasis. It is not uncommon in and around coalfields.
The whole process use to take quite a long time and I would reach home by 7 in the evening. Seeing the cuts and bruises on my feet and legs, mum would again shout, ‘
The whole process use to take quite a long time and I would reach home by 7 in the evening. Seeing the cuts and bruises on my feet and legs, mum would again shout, ‘
so you again went to jungle with those hooligans. So many times I v asked you not to go there. Have not you heard Jackal howling at night? They stay in that jungle’.
My ears had automatic plugs which use to shut myself from mum’s voice. At the end of her sermon, I would say,
‘Don’t worry, I will manage and things will continue like this till Holi.’
One day before Holi, Holika Dahan: A night of bonfire use to take place.All the kids and elders used to gather at the place where the kids had collected wood, beating drums, dancing and singing.
Holi was a fiesta. That one day when nobody could recognize me. Everybody was colored. We all shed our individual identity. We were all same, colored. It was a collective identity. With each splash of colures, our individual identity got lost and we became more like each other. Morning and afternoon was the time to play wet Holi with colures dissolved in water. Late afternoon was the time for collective bathing of me, my two sisters and mummy. Mummy scolding me again, ‘what all colures your friends have used on you. It is so hard to remove. I v asked you to stay away from the hooligans. Grow up.’ I thinking and smiling, it’s good that it is hard to remove them. At least there would be some sign left of Holi. I would miss it tomorrow. Holi will come one year later and I may grow up by that time and may not play with the Hooligans. ;)
In the evening, the gang of Hooligans used to meet again. This time the task was to touch feet of as many elders possible to get their blessings. In the typical bihari style, we put colors on elders feet and never dared to touch there face. It was a ritual and fun. This business of Holi would end around 10 at night.
I terribly miss my style of HOLI now. Its been almost 8 years, I 'v not played that Holi. Unfortunately, I have grown up. I miss my Hooligan friends and the bihari way of touching feet of elders.( Once I tried doing it outside Bihar and people could not understand what I was trying to do.) I know guys, more than missing each other we miss those moments which we created during Holi Preaparation. Those simple acts during planning of Holi each year, Holika dahan and playing Holi have given us the memories. This Holi, I feel nostalgic.
HAPPY HOLI TO Mala, Neha, Deeprashmi, Abhishek, Pranav, Pranay,Goldy, Indrajeet, Sarvesh, Mangalesh, Prem Prakash, Jolly,didi, Aakanksha, Abhira, Khushboo, Priyanka, Kirti, Shruti, Shruti 2, Saurabh,Puja, Rakhi, Saakhi,Alka, Swati, Biki didi, Kanhaiya, Pinki didi, Chumki didi, Prarthana didi, Monu bhaiya, Bobby bhaiya, Pinku bhaiya, Neetu didi, Seema didi, Gudiya didi, Gudiya, Nidhi,Richa, Ritu, Ruchi, Mitu didi, Sanju, Pinki, Swati, Bappa, Manju didi, Baby didi, Babbal, Laltu……to be continued.(Apart from Hooligans, this list includes people who have made my HOLI memorable in the decade of 90s)
We created moments. Thanks to all of you.
Holi was a fiesta. That one day when nobody could recognize me. Everybody was colored. We all shed our individual identity. We were all same, colored. It was a collective identity. With each splash of colures, our individual identity got lost and we became more like each other. Morning and afternoon was the time to play wet Holi with colures dissolved in water. Late afternoon was the time for collective bathing of me, my two sisters and mummy. Mummy scolding me again, ‘what all colures your friends have used on you. It is so hard to remove. I v asked you to stay away from the hooligans. Grow up.’ I thinking and smiling, it’s good that it is hard to remove them. At least there would be some sign left of Holi. I would miss it tomorrow. Holi will come one year later and I may grow up by that time and may not play with the Hooligans. ;)
In the evening, the gang of Hooligans used to meet again. This time the task was to touch feet of as many elders possible to get their blessings. In the typical bihari style, we put colors on elders feet and never dared to touch there face. It was a ritual and fun. This business of Holi would end around 10 at night.
I terribly miss my style of HOLI now. Its been almost 8 years, I 'v not played that Holi. Unfortunately, I have grown up. I miss my Hooligan friends and the bihari way of touching feet of elders.( Once I tried doing it outside Bihar and people could not understand what I was trying to do.) I know guys, more than missing each other we miss those moments which we created during Holi Preaparation. Those simple acts during planning of Holi each year, Holika dahan and playing Holi have given us the memories. This Holi, I feel nostalgic.
HAPPY HOLI TO Mala, Neha, Deeprashmi, Abhishek, Pranav, Pranay,Goldy, Indrajeet, Sarvesh, Mangalesh, Prem Prakash, Jolly,didi, Aakanksha, Abhira, Khushboo, Priyanka, Kirti, Shruti, Shruti 2, Saurabh,Puja, Rakhi, Saakhi,Alka, Swati, Biki didi, Kanhaiya, Pinki didi, Chumki didi, Prarthana didi, Monu bhaiya, Bobby bhaiya, Pinku bhaiya, Neetu didi, Seema didi, Gudiya didi, Gudiya, Nidhi,Richa, Ritu, Ruchi, Mitu didi, Sanju, Pinki, Swati, Bappa, Manju didi, Baby didi, Babbal, Laltu……to be continued.(Apart from Hooligans, this list includes people who have made my HOLI memorable in the decade of 90s)
We created moments. Thanks to all of you.
