A GROUP of Guyanese, sightseeing in India, celebrated Phagwah in the Pink City of Jaipur, India on Sunday and will return to New York midweek.  Like Guyana, Phagwah is a national holiday in India and the hundreds of millions of people turned out en masse in the streets splashing a rainbow of colours on each other.
In conversations on the phone, the Guyanese tourists said they had a most memorable celebration, which they say is unforgettable.  They noted that the Jaipur celebrations brought back memories of their youthful days celebrating Phagwah in Guyana with singing, dancing, playing with liquid abeer and dried gulal and powder.
They indicated the entire trip so far has been filled with memories of a lifetime, but the Phagwah celebration itself was unique taking place in a small town with celebrants coming together as a family.

Mona Dass of Albion said, “You have to experience the celebration.  There is nothing like it. It was so wonderful and colourful.  It is something of a lifetime.  It is better than what we see in Bollywood movies with the stars playing Phagwah singing the Holi songs. I can’t explain it and words can’t describe our feelings.  I don’t think I can ever experience this again even if I am born again”.

Mona’s husband, Peter Dass, the singing sensation of Guyana, said of Phagwah in India: “Oh my God.  I can’t find words.  There is nothing like it anywhere. We will never experience this again.  I partook in Richmond Hill celebrations.  Those are nothing compared with what I partook in Jaipur.  And what we celebrated in Guyana does not come close either.  However, the Jaipur celebration brings back so many memories of my youth in Guyana”.

Dass entertained audiences everywhere.  Indian nationals could not believe that there is a foreigner who can sing Bollywood songs with such perfection.  Asked about his flight from NY on Air India and his trip so far, he said: “It was a long flight but comfortable, with no complaints.  The service on Air India was beyond expectations and the trip is well organized, planned and executed.  I could not do it better”.

Roopnauth Shivdan of Number 10 Mahaica Creek said, “This is the best Holi celebration he had for the last 60 years”.  He noted that Holi has so many similar features like Guyana.  “It is so extravagant, with so many varieties of colours.  It makes me feel so much like back in Guyana.  The Richmond Hill celebration is great but visiting the motherland and celebrating Holi there is such a special feeling.

He said the group is extremely happy and they all danced to the Phagwah songs, tassa, chowtaal.  Phagwah is now an integral part of life. It was great in India.  The food was delicious for the occasion and the trip on the whole.  You eat with your mind in the food”.

Shivdan said “the local people are so marvelous.  They treat us so warmly and they celebrate with us and allow us to celebrate with them. The local people have deep love for us as Indians from the West Indies. You have to be here to see how our ancestors celebrated this magnificent festival and transplanted it to Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean where it is institutionalized and enjoyed by people of other ethnic groups as well.

The people everywhere were so surprised that we were so deep into the culture and traditions of India where our ancestors left 170 years ago”.

Shivdan’s wife, Begai, also said she had the best Phagwah in her lifetime with the film dances.  “There were so many surprises.  We could not ask for more”.

Tour operator, Ramesh Kalicharran, said the Indian hosts went all out to prepare an exuberant celebration and wanted the touring group to feel special.  “There was a well decorated stage with a rainbow of colors. And artistes performed for us in a concert. “It was very entertaining and quite compelling.  It was a Rajasthani celebration with very beautiful costumes and great drumming and dancing”.

Kali said the group has been doing a lot of shopping.  “They shop till they drop”.