Happy Holi

Holi kab hai? Kab hai Holi?

LOL! This is the famous dialogue that has made Holi immortal in Indian Screen Entertainment – TV and Cinema. One would find Gabbar Singh always asking this question in Sholay, the biggest blog buster of Indian cinema. Well, I have an answer to him today. Holi aaj hai – today is Holi. Wish you all a very colorful Holi and wish that God makes your days as colorful as you were today, while playing with colors.

Holi was today. And in my native place, it will continue tomorrow too. Today is Dol Purnima there and Holi will be celebrated tomorrow. We Bengalis do not burn the Holika Hut as in North India, but what we do is play with Abeer all day long and put Abeer on Gods’ and elders’ feet and seek their blessings. Also we eat and distribute sweets. Well, nothing happened to me today. All day, somewhere deep in heart, I was waiting for someone to come with Abeer and paint me all Green, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Red and Purple. Hahahaha – a dream, may be. Nothing happened. Nothing happens here – in this big bustling cities. Nothing happened at home too…

Did not get a single drop of purple on my body today. Did not even touch Abeer. And? And Holi is over! There was a time, when I used to pour Abeer on pictures and think that my Abeer has touched the person’s body – now, things are changed. People stay in closest vicinity, but not a drop of color splashes. Nothing happens.

Anyways! Change is life is the only constant thing. Lets talk about variables or differences now.

There are lot of differences between our small Agartala and my big BANGALORE! In Agartala on this day, one would think 17 times before leaving his house. Be it your office hours or you are coming back from office at the end of the day. Whenever you are seen on road on ‘good’ dress, you are gone. You need not search for people who know you to get assaulted, all those who see you in that fashion will just pound on you and send you back home – in purple color! Hahaha! What a sight would it be for your family who might have sent you to office or the market in washed clothing to bring fish! Be it any time of the day or night. Wonderful!

Here? Well, I went out to market today. In the evening though. And was actually thinking, if there would be any gang painting people on Holi. There were none like that. I saw a few boys playing Holi with colors and I was passing them – they never even looked at me! May be because of the dark. Hehe… I laugh! I think of those days back at home and I laughed again. As I went pass the Bangalore Central – I saw nothing new in there. I don’t know if they have decorated the inside for Holi, but from the outside, there was nothing. Not even a small percentage of what they did during Christmas! Well, I don’t know – don’t want to think much too.

Wish you a very happy and colorful Holi once again. May your life be full of colors. God Bless!