Pradipna Raj Panta

Holi is celebrated in most parts of Nepal in one form or the other. The festival is rooted in the mythological legend of the victory of justice over injustice. The term ‘Holi’ is derived from Holika, an evil sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu. She is burnt to death when she tried to kill Prahlad while she puts the pious boy on her lap and sits on fire. The popular culture of Holi has become synonymous with festival of joyous celebration of colours, songs and dances.

Tradition
The tradition of playing colours in Holi dates back to the Mahabharata period. Lord Krishna, in his earlier days, was very fickle. One of his anecdotes states that when Krishna was a little kid, he was very much concerned with his dark complexion. He was very jealous of Radha’s fairness. One day, young Krishna taunted to his mother Yashoda on this inequality of god who made him very dark whereas Radha was gifted with fair complexion. Famous saint Sardasji also composed a beautiful song in Hindi titled “Why is Radha fair, Why am I dark”.
Yashoda tried to please him by furnishing many reasons but Krishna was not convinced and began crying. Then to soothe her beloved son, Yashoda mockingly told him to colour Radha’s face with whichever colour he wanted. Then, playful Krishna, in mischievous mood, went to Radha’s house and applied colour on her face thus making her look like him. Later, this lovable naughtiness of Krishna has gained momentum. Now Holi is widely accepted as a festival of colour among Hindu communities.
In Nepal, Holi is also known as Phagu Purnima. The celebrations start after the sunset on Purnima (the last full moon in the lunar month of Phalgun). But there are several kinds of Holi celebration in the country that we are unaware of them. In Sudurpaschim Province, Holi is a more of musical affair than of colours as in the other provinces, and signifies the start of the sowing season for the farming community.
As part of celebrating the festival, people in Sudurpaschim wear traditional clothes, sing Deuda songs and dance in a group. During holy, Deuda songs are based on spiritualism. Men don traditional attire and sing and dance on Holi songs with instrument like Dholak (drum). Furthermore, there is Mahila Holi, and is exclusively organised for women. But there is one thing common in both male and female Holi. They sing popular Holi songs and shout chants to Radha and Krishna. Though Holi songs are supposed to be about love pranks of Radha and Krishna, there are some delightful exceptions in Sudurpaschim. In Kathmandu and other hilly regions, Bhajans and Kirtans are very popular during Holi. They are devotional gatherings and tied to Bhakti yoga and bring family and friends together. Using simple language and everyday imagery, Bhajans convey a deeper meaning associated with life.
Dapha Bhajan group is very popular in the Kathmandu Valley. Originated in Bhaktapur some 300 years ago, the Dapha Bhajan has swept over the valley as well as other hilly regions with Newari speaking community. It was a social movement that championed the diversity of the human experience and made god accessible to all. Its ultimate goal was not just to achieve fame but also to unite people and bring everyone closer to god. Holi is one of their favourite festivals and they sing a variety of songs. There is one popular song composed in Nepal Bhasa “Holi Ya Holi Tanchayalasse, Abeer Bhati Nan Taya Majula”. Its meaning in English: Pretty girl, did you get offended even after applying an Abeer (color powder similar to vermillion powder) on the day of Holi?
Province 2 and all the Terai regions of Nepal and Holi go hand in hand. The festival is celebrated elsewhere, but more so in Terai. In Bhojpuri dialect, Holi is called Phaguwa. In Terai, Holi is celebrated in two days. On the 1st day, they collect wood and make bonfires signifying the Holika Dahan. On the second day, people celebrate it with colours. But Holi is a more of musical affairs than of colours. They sing and dance to celebrate the festival. Consumption of Bhang is also a part of the Holi celebrations in Province 2.
Most of songs during the festival of Holi in this province describe the celebration of Krishna, his romance with Radha and the pranks he played with her and cowgirls (Gopinis), depicting the Shringar Rasa (love and romance). The love pranks of Radha and Krishna are known for their connection with Brij, Brindaban of India. So their song also starts from Brij. “It’s a festival of colour in Brij. All the colours are here for you, and you are the love of my life, Jogira, Sa Ra Ra Ra.”
This is very popular expression used in celebration. It is a popular folk song composed skillfully. Besides devotion, Bhojpuri songs during Holi also have a lot of pranks. Furthermore, both Maithili and Bhojpuri speaking people organise a Mahamurkh Kabi Sammelan (great fool poets’ conference) where they can play fun tricks, tease their friends and no one would mind.
There is also a more powerful song and dance as Bhojpuri Holi song has both classical as well as semi-classical connection. Holi in Terai has also other connection and the love pranks of husband and wife. The prank song between husband and wife starts with “Holi’s bustle, there was a crowd again, my husband didn’t come, my fortune exploded”. The prank song and dance between brother-in-law (Jija) and sister-in-law (salee) is also highly popular in Bhojpuri speaking community.

Harmony
It is not easy to present all kinds of Holi celebrations in different part of the country. But Holi is celebrated all over Nepal with same spirits and enthusiasm. And it is also a symbol of unity, harmony and brotherhood. It helps bring the society together and strengthen the secular fabric of the country as everyone loves being a part of such colourful festival. It inspires people to celebrate the occasion together by forgetting the grudges, bitterness and discriminations. It marks the uniqueness and relevance of tradition, giving sense of pride and teaching us the importance of overcoming evil with good. Happy Holi!

(Panta is a freelance writer)