Holi: The Un-Holy Day!

The Festival of Colors – Holi is celebrated across India and in countries with considerable Indian population. My aversion for Holi, as a fun festival, has amplified with times! Although I relish all the other festivals (especially Diwali) to the core; Holi is one festival, to which I feel dis-enchanted.

All cultures and religions preach their practitioners to live a humble and a disciplined life. Self-control and sacrifice are considered to be the pathways to salvation. Being a stimulating task, every culture created a yearly day-off, a fun day, for men and women to unleash their mischievous spirit, banish cerebration and blur the societal boundaries. Indian culture created such a day, as Holi. Other cultures have similar festivals like Carnivals (Brazil and Italy), Mardi Gras (New Orleans), Cooper Hill’s Cheese Rolling Festival (England), Dia de los Muertos  (Mexico), Songkran Water Festival (Thailand), Watermelon Festival (Australia),Burning Man (Nevada), Cascamorras and La Tomatina (Spain), Mud Festival (Japan and South Korea) etc.

But nowadays, in the dark ages of materialism and gluttony, we live a blithe lifestyle, every day. Thus for me, Holi has lost its relevance, as the festival is now moving towards overindulgences and hooliganisms. The festival, which was once known through the tagline, “Bura Na Mano Holi Hai”, now has turned into an unapologetic revenge tale! Though I still enjoy, meeting relatives, social gatherings and cherishing delicacies during Holi, but I am highly disillusioned with the color-bashing concept.