PHAGWAH is a holiday in Guyana but not in NY where it is not accorded any official status except for excused absence from classes for students.  There is no suspension of parking rules as it is for Diwali or the Islamic holidays. Thus, Guyanese and other Phagwah enthusiasts have to be satisfied with celebrating the holiday at home or in the mandirs in the evening hours. The brutally cold weather with hardened snow (ice) all over the streets and still atop buildings and vehicles, from snow over the weekend, make people longing to be in Guyana for the holiday. They reminisce about playing phagwah house to house with neighbors, friends and family members. So while Guyanese have had a frolicking time at home, we are freezing in NY and have to get to work to pay the bills in this tough economic time. As such, very few people have the time to prepare all the delicious delicacies (gulgula, ghoja, bara, phulourie, etc.) that go with the holiday.  So they settle for a simple vegetarian meal of dhal, bhat (rice), roti and curry.
On Sunday, all the 50 mandirs celebrated Phagwah with chowtal singing followed by lunch. On Sunday evening, the American Sevashram Sangha, hosted chowtal singing and dancing followed by a lovely dinner.  The Guyanese radio station, WICR, aired Phagwah songs over the weekend and started Monday with a special program of chowtal and Phagwah Bollywood songs.  Other radio and TV programs also hosted specials. Rohit Jagessar’s radio station also ran two days of special Phagwah related music on Sunday and Monday.

Phagwah will be at its fever pitch this Friday at City Hall where the City Council will host the celebrations which were cancelled because of the snow storm of last Friday. On Saturday, a group of mandirs will host a public samellan (concert) feting celebrants with lunch and dinner at the Maha Lakshmi Mandir in Richmond Hill where the police will close off a couple of streets to facilitate the celebration.  And on Sunday, thousands will congregate for the annual Phagwah parade on Liberty Avenue which will be closed to vehicular traffic for about a mile.
So while Guyanese are trying to keep up with the tradition of Phagwah in NY in a simple subdued celebration, it is not the same as in Guyana where people have more fun of a time.  However, the largest gathering of Guyanese anywhere in the world will take place at the Phagwah mela on Sunday when it is expected to take on a carnival like atmosphere.