Shubh Holi and Happy New Year to all Guyanese

GUYANA’s plurality of cultures makes our nation a rich cultural tapestry, and distinguishes us from the rest of the world.

The very nature of the Phagwah festival celebrates our rainbow of cultures with a rainbow of colours, as the hands of Guyanese of all races hold aloft the colours of happiness in their palms. Likewise, this spring festival, with all its implications of happiness, celebration, and coming together of peoples, is replicated by the joyful and colourful festival of Holi.

Wikipedia describes Phagwah (or Holi) as a springtime festival celebrated by Hindus in India and countries with large Indian populations, which include Guyana and Trinidad. On the day of celebration, observers traditionally wear white clothing, and throw harmless coloured water and powder, called Abeer or Gulal, on each other.

Phagwah is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. The festival can be traced back to the Hindu lore of the King Hiranyakasyapu, who attempted to kill his son, Prince Prahalad, because the lad refused to worship his father, as he was a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu. On each attempt made on his life, the boy was saved by Lord Vishnu’s blessings. The King’s sister, Holika (Holi derives from her name) eventually tried to kill the prince as well, by leading him into a fire.

According to the lore, Holika was immune to fire, but she perished to ashes, and the Prince emerged alive from the flames.

Phagwah is celebrated on the last full moon of winter, usually at the end of February or start of March. It also heralds the beginning of spring. Holi is an ancient Hindu festival, with its cultural rituals. It is mentioned in the Puranas, Dasakumara Charita, and by the poet Kalidasa during the 4th century reign of Chandragupta II. The celebration of Holi is also mentioned in the 7th-century Sanskrit drama, Ratnavali.

The festival of Holi caught the fascination of European traders and British colonial staff by the 17th century. Various old editions of the Oxford English Dictionary mention it, but with varying, phonetically-derived spellings: Houly (1687), Hooly (1698), Huli (1789), Hohlee (1809), Hoolee (1825) and Holi in editions published after 1910.

There are several cultural rituals associated with Holi: Days before the festival, people start gathering wood and combustible materials for the bonfire in parks, community centres, near temples, and other open spaces. On top of the pyre, an effigy is placed to signify Holika, who tricked Prahalad into going into the fire. Inside homes, people stock up on colour pigments, food, party drinks, and festive seasonal foods such as gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other regional delicacies.

On the eve of Holi, typically at or after sunset, the pyre is lit, signifying Holika Dahan. The ritual symbolises the victory of good over evil. People sing and dance around the fire.
Holi frolic and celebrations begin the morning after Holika bonfire. There is no tradition of holding puja (prayer), and the day is for partying and pure enjoyment. Children and youths form groups armed with dry colours, coloured solution, means to fill and spray others with coloured solution (pichkaris), balloons that can hold coloured water, and other creative means.

In the Braj region of North India, women have the option to playfully hit men, who save themselves with shields; for the day, men are culturally expected to accept whatever women dish out to them. This ritual is called Lath Mar Holi.

Traditionally, washable natural plant-derived colours, such as turmeric, neem, dhak, kumkum, were used; but water-based commercial pigments are increasingly used. All colours are used. Everyone in open areas, such as streets and parks, is game. Inside homes or at doorways, though, only dry powder is used to smear each other’s face. People throw colours, and get their targets completely coloured up. It is like a water fight, but the water is coloured. People take delight in spraying coloured water on each other.

By late morning, everyone looks like a canvas of colours. This is why Holi is given the name “Festival of Colours.”

Groups sing and dance, some playing drums and dholak. After each stop of fun and play with colours, people offer gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other traditional delicacies. Chilled drinks, including adult drinks based on local intoxicating herbs, are also part of the Holi festivity.

Friends form groups on Holi, play drums and music, and sing and dance as they move from one stop to another. After a day of play with colours, people clean up, wash and bathe, sober up and get dressed in the evening to greet friends and relatives by visiting them and exchange sweets.

Holi is also a festival of forgiveness and new starts, which ritually aims to generate harmony in the society.

Phagwah is being observed today, and the Board of Directors, management and staff of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited wish all Guyanese A Happy Holi.

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