Holi colours a taboo in some remote Kumoan villages
Holi colours a taboo in some remote Kumoan villages
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, March 12
As celebrations for the festival of colours ‘Holi’ reach its’ crescendo in entire Kumaon region, interestingly, over 125 villages of Bageshwar, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts situated in interior northern parts of Kumaon region keep themselves away from these celebrations as per their faith their presiding deities detest from colours.
“Over 125 villages of Talla Darma, Talla Johar regions of Pithoragarh and Malla Danpur regions of Bageshwar districts do not celebrate ‘Holi’ festival as their presiding deities become angry over playing of colours,” said Puran Pandey, a resident of Munsiyari town.
‘Holi’ is a ‘Sanatani Hindu’ festival that begins from first Sunday of Hindu calendar month of ‘Magh’ and conclude on ‘Pratipada’ of ‘Krishna Paksha’ of the ‘Chaltra’ month. “It is a Sanatani Hindu festival that was brought to kumaon region by Chand kings of Champawaat in the 14th century, as the kings initiated it through their Brahmin priests as the influence of Brahminism spread in the region. Whereas the Holi is not celebrated in areas where the ‘Sanatanl’ traditions have not yet reached,” said Padma Datt Pant, a cultural historian of eastern Kumaon region.
“In over a dozen villages of Sama region of Bageshwar district, the assumptions are such that if villagers play with colours, the local presiding deities punish them in form of natural disasters,” said Dan Singh Koranga, a resident of the region.
Not only the remote villages of Kumaon region but three villages of Rudraprayag district of Garhwal region including Kwili and Khurjhang have not celebrated ‘Holi’ from last 150 years after the presiding deity of these villages, namely ‘Tripura Sundari’, played havoc upon these villages in the form of natural disasters.
” Apart from several areas in Uttarakhnd, where the ‘Sanatani’ traditions have not yet been fully imbibed several villages of tribal regions of Banaskantha in Gujrat and Durgapur regions of Jharkhand do not celebrated ‘Holi’ citing reasons of curse or wrath of local deities,” said Pant
Jeewan Varti, a journalist from Madkoti region of Talla Johar region of Pithoragarh district has said that more than a dozen villages of that region having faith in ‘Chipla Kedar’, a highly revered presiding deity of the region, do not celebrated ‘Holi’ as the deity not only detests colours but also romantic songs sung during ‘Holi’ celebrations as well. “Even the devotees of ‘Chipla Kedar’, situated at 3700 meters high peak, not allowed to wear colourful clothes during worship and ‘Jatra’ of the deity and all devotees and priests wear while clothes during worship of the ‘Chipla Kedar’,” said Jeewan Warti.
“While ‘Holi’ is still prohibited for their devotees by local deities, some ‘Sanatani’ festivals like ‘Deepawali’ and ‘Dushehara’ have found acceptance in these remote regions as they have started celebrating ‘Ramleela’ and ‘Deepawali’,” said Warti.
