Rang De Basanti!

It’s that time of the year when the sleepy town of Bolpur comes alive with revellers such that the narrow roads seem to be overflowing with people, cars and buses. Roadside stalls do brisk business, rickshaws ferry new arrivals making it tough for pedestrians. Everyone looks headed for one destination – Shantiniketan. 

The festival of colours here is unlike anywhere else in the country… No sa-ra-ra-ra, no coloured-water ambushes, no tearing at shirts… Besides, worship of Radha-Krishna or Chaitanya Dev is not de rigueur either. 

As spring heralded fresh foliage and cool breezes laden with the fragrance of resplendent blossoms of the Palash flower (Flame of the Forest), Rakta karabi (Red Oleanders), Krishnachura (Delonix regia) and Garden Marigold, Shantiniketan seemed to echo Tagore’s song 'O amar chander alo/ aaj faguner sandhyakaale/ dhara diyechho je amay/ patai patai, dale dale' (O my moonlight, on this Phalgun evening, you have come unto me, aglitter over new branches and fresh leaves) on the eve of the festival day. Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore started the musical spring festival ‘Vasant Utsab’ in 1925 at Vishwa Bharati, the University established by him, as a tribute to the traditional ‘Madan Utsav’. References to this magnificent occasion can be found in ancient Sanskrit texts like the ‘Dashakumar Charit’, ‘Garud Puran’ and in the writings of Kalidas. 

The festival starts with Rabindra Bandana on the eve of the full moon night with a musical performance by the teachers and residents of Shantiniketan in presence of an audience comprising a few thousands. During Tagore’s lifetime, the festival was held at Amrakunja (mango orchards); later it was shifted to Gour Prangan in front of Patha Bhawan, and with the number of ever-growing visitors, the event is now held in the spacious playground beside Gour Prangan. 

At the break of dawn on festival day, Baitalik (the poet’s songs sung in a procession) awakens the few still asleep. Thousands of students dolled in garlands of palash flowers and lovely yellow/red/green/blue attires walk down singing 'O re grihabasi, khol dwar khol, laglo je dole/ sthale-jale-banatale laglo je dole/ dwar khol, dwar khol.' (O residents! Open your doors! Spring stirs outside… on soil, in water, in the forests. Spring is stirring!) The procession culminates in a musical gala at the playground. People start playing with abeer only after the last dance to Tagore’s famous vasant song 'rangiye diye jao jao jao go tomar jabar aage' (colour me before you go away) is over. Even after the musical revelry and the colour riot, the youth is far from done; colourful camaraderie is very much at work at Amrakunja, Shalbithi (Shal forest), Kalabhawan compound, Sangeet Bhawan and Kalo Bari. 

To Tagore, vasant was the symbol of vibrant youth. His song 'Rang jeno more marme laage/ amar sakol karma laage…' (Let colours paint my heart such that it touches all that I do) is a message to be taken verily to heart by many a jaded mind.

 

Phoolon ki Holi: Holi-er than thou

Allergic to the colours used during Holi? Did you spend hours scrubbing after playing a mere half-an-hour of Holi? Then the celebrations in New Delhi at Indian Accent, Epicentre and Habitat World would have been the ideal venue for your party, where they tried to revive the traditional style of playing Holi with flower petals and the like. These dos also brought in dance troupes from Awadh and Braj, and offered much-needed respite for all those tired of being stormed with eggs, colas and what not! Add to this a folk music recital by Shubha Mudgal at Habitat World, and traditional Holi sweetmeats like gujiyas, malpuas and thandai, and here were three Holi parties unlike any other!

Hola Mohalla: Martial celebration of Spring

             

In Punjab, all roads lead to Anandpur Sahib around Holi time for the spectacular week-long festivity of Hola Mohalla, a grand martial celebration of spring. The gulal of holi is fired from a country-made gun by a Nihang in flowing blue robes and the Sikh Olympics start in all enthusiasm on the first day of the lunar month of Chet in the Nanakshahi calendar. The festival is the playground of Nihangs, the beloved soldiers of Guru Gobind Singh and they come out in thousands to show their skill at sword-fencing, tent-pegging, bareback horse riding and many other feats. The festival dates back to the 17th century, when Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs and the founder of the Khalsa, conducted these to keep the Sikh army fit. The ritual has survived, in spite of the British banning this ‘self-styled’ army of the Sikhs.

Today it is an exotic festival which recreates medieval times in all earnest with photographers and filmmakers coming from home and abroad to capture the magnificent spectacle. Lakhs descend on Anandpur Sahib and the inhabitants of this picturesque town, where the Khalsa was founded in 1699, throw open their home to the known and many times unknown devotees. Villages around the town enthusiastically serve free food in the admirable tradition of the langar or community kitchen of the Sikhs. Farmers contribute in cash and kind and cook wholesome meals of dal-sabzi and rotis. Tea and sugarcane juice are also served and this is no small thing in times when food prices are at all-time high.

Politicians make use of the large assembly to hold political rallies and this time there was a distinct poll flavour to the Shiromani Akali Dal rally with both Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal taking centre stage. Environmentalists did their bit by demanding a ban on plastic bags in the town and making an effort to have eco-friendly celebrations. There have also been demands to turn the festival into a tourist attraction, for where would they get such to witness a living heritage of the Sikhs.