It’s the time for celebrating the vibrant festival of colours and everyone wants to wish their relatives, friends and loved one’s on Holi and send them beautiful messages filled with love and bright colourfulness of Holi. Fortunately for us, suitably worded texts and pics are available on-line and one needn’t compose trying to articulate one’s feelings. There will always remain the traditional ethos of Holi marking the triumph of goodness over evil and the arrival of spring and the newness in nature that you associate with it.
In a way, it heralds the beginning of another aspirational phase just arriving before the close of financial year.With climatic change, health and environmental concerns, age-old customs ofcelebrating with water colours, even paints and varnish,has diminished over time, celebratory practices -exchanging gifts, extendinggreetings on social media or in meets,partaking of special Holi delicacies and planningshort tripsand partying hard, thanks to Holi holidays merging with weekend offs, have all grown significantly !
As with life’s many memorable events, Holi brings back many nostalgic reminiscences. I recall that as a small kid, I dreaded the festival where one’s own parents and siblings suddenly looked scary with myriad colours smeared on their faces. In my mind it was akin to the spooky Halloween. Soon within a few years I got over my fears and with my teenaged neighbourhood & school compatriots in crime, it became a real fun-filled affair.Over the years, celebrations were with familiesand would involve lots of merry-making, singing and dancing but we avoided boisterous, bawdy & drunken festivities. Quintessentially for senior citizens,the festival is still to sit, meet & bless Gen Y &Z !
We’d learnt from ourschool teachers that all our festivals had real significance in the cultural code and values that were meant to be followed. What festival of colours does is to paint all in strong colours of universal brotherhood, remove the societal & religious differences, practice forgiveness & find friendly ties converting discord in relationships. It’s supposed to be a harbinger of peace, harmony, happiness for all people. If all this sounds unreal and idealistic in today’s context, that’s what it is ! Happy Holi, Friends !
Working on Living 