The Festival of Colors - HOLI!

HAPPY HOLI!

It's that time of the year again. It is the month of March. It is the time of revelry and colors, a time of sighs and sounds. As I sit in my balcony writing this piece, I am surrounded by the cacophony of noises such as the drumbeats of thaabal Chongba (Moonlit dance) or some announcement over the microphones for some programs or sports. Yes, Yaoshang as it is generally known here in Manipur is the famous Holi Festival of the mainland India. It is amazing that Holi festival is celebrated with such fanfare here in Imphal unlike anywhere in the world. It is celebrated for 5 days, with much gusto and enthusiasm not seen in other parts of India. It is the most celebrated festival in Manipur.

It all began last evening with the burning of the Shang (straw shed or canopy) which signifies the beginning of this auspicious festival. Young children well attired in traditional dress slowly started visiting homes with the slogan "Nakadeng Lakchari" meaning they have come for money or charity. Every household they visit have to give them some amount of money.

On the other hand, I have already seen highways being blocked by young ladies, collecting money for thaabal chongba well in advance. Today, we were flooded by streams of visitors all asking for "nakadeng" or monetary donations. Then, bands of Holi players came to sing and dance in our courtyard. The weird thing about being a political family is that we are expected to pay much more than ordinary folks. It becomes more like an intimidation or compulsion to pay heed to all their demands which I must say is the darker side of this festival like many others in our state. A politician is expected to donate large amount for every occasion - be it festival, sports or culture, etc. It almost bothers on insanity or plain absurdity or wilful abuses of the power that the voters exercise over the lives of their representatives. This is the side I abhor about our people and our system. 

Then, on the brighter side, a day is dedicated for Piskari and color, because this is the festival of colors. Boys and Girls play around with colors of different ranges. In the evenings, the girls get all worked up, dressed up and made up for the thaabal chongba or moonlit dance. Many a couple have been hit by cupids arrow especially during thaabal chongba. No wonder that thabal chongba remains the most popular and coveted dance of all dances by the youths and adolescents. The rythm and flair of some dancers are simply fascinating. Teenagers in bikes and admirers in cars drive around from one leikai (colony) to another, hunting, letching or just admiring young girls, perhaps in the hope that cupids arrow would strike them over some damsel during thaabal chongba. The humour of the circumstance is that those unfortunate guardians of the so called law and order tend to harass these "Romeos on the prowl" by frisking them or punishing them in different forms if they are caught breaking the law. It is the classic case of our times - Share your sufference with others by force if necessary!

The festival of Holi in Manipur is truly an experience worth having and it's varied dimensions also proves the eroticism and ecstasy that Hinduism or Vaishnavism profess in many subtle ways.