Making the Holi HOLY

“Splash”

Every time the water balloon burst, I would take other balloons and start filling them. The elastic bands that remained on the tap would make a series of the entire spectrum of rainbow, giving that “balla holi aayo” vibe. I would sneak a peek just to check if I had filled more water balloons than that of my friends, and would carefully place them inside a tub with enough water. After all they were my weapons, and I had to protect it at any cost.

With a bucket full of colorful water balloons and my pichkari (water gun) fully loaded, I would choose the oldest dress out of the store room for the sacrificial ritual that lay ahead.  Even the realization of the scars of the war (the color stains that would remain like forever), were not able to deter me and I would run to the battleground already filled in the chaos of the battle against every other soul present. Warriors would be racing around and firing their ammunition (handful of colors) at each other.

Awakening the archer in me, I would close an eye and aim with the other and fire at my targets. My moment of glory was occasionally disturbed by the strong wind. :P . The colors that filled my nostrils and mouth were my battle scars and I would proudly carry them to other battle fields only to be filled with more. Only when my energy would be completely drained and some 4-5 head shots of eggs (conditioner for my hair) would I return home with my battle drenched piece of clothing dripping multitudes of color.

Holi was the day which added colors to my monochromatic life and also the only day that required no alarm for me to wake up. It was not just a thing for me but for everyone else as well as they lost their inhibitions and got to bring their inner child out. It is a day when one can forget all your worries, dress in their shabbiest clothes, forget their reputation, and just indulge in the fun.

With today’s changing lifestyles and values, Holi celebration has taken new hues. The traditional Holi celebration has slowly taken a backseat and has now molded to the times; less expressive, boisterous and a time to flaunt your riches. The natural colors have now been replaced with synthetic colors of metal oxides and lead. It has changed into a bandwagon and has been so commercialized that people would rather choose to celebrate it with the people whom they have no idea about in hotels rather than with their families. With Tuborg sponsoring every event in the valley and making Tuborg an official HOLI drink, the traditional drinks have been forgotten.

As a means of bragging, people wear dresses worth thousands that are going to be destroyed which makes no utter sense. It has created more social barriers today than at any other time. If you belong to a good economic background then you pay a few thousands and enjoy else you go to some free of places. How will the celebration create an environment for social harmony, when all its doing is driving a wedge deeper into the society?

The greatest problem of all is the fact that it has become an opportunity more like an open license for some men to misbehave without any conscience of guilt (not all for I have seen who strictly are against this hooliganism). This very thought of men holding down women and smearing colors on them, chasing them down streets and throwing god knows what, I shy away from the celebrations not that I have been through any cases as such. The only way out? If you are trying to protect yourself from these, be with your trusted guys or even safer, to play inside one’s home and be contented with those little color stripes on your white printed Tees of NRS 150. If that’s not safe enough then wear a dress so thick that no amount of water can make it translucent.  

 It wasn’t very long ago that even a week prior to Holi I feared wearing white dress and walking on the streets for getting hit with water balloons or plastic filled with water. Any sight of anyone holding them was enough for me to find a temporary shelter or to try and dodge the hits that were flung my way. Thanks to the Nepal Police and the governance, the deployed force deterred any untoward incidents, that I can now freely walk the streets. Definitely there’s no one pressurizing us to play Holi against our will, but with the Holi we witnessed in our childhood, it’s no wonder that we’ve lost the thrill for it. The charm of the day has been lost. If one thinks it’s because of me getting old, then they are completely wrong, as I really want to live like those old days only to hold my steps.

With the ongoing scenario, there raises a question that will our future generations be able to enjoy the festivals and create the wonderful memories like we did or will it transform into those couple of stripes of color and some pictures in the social media? I really hope that the next Holi regains its old charm. Without inhibitions to hold back the happiness, crazy  and yet  responsible. Where the skies drank the color and the people drowned in them. Where the Holi would be holy!