Ruthless festivity mars spirituality

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 13: The unique Barpeta Doul festivity has added colours to Holi, a riot of colours, in Guwahati this year. A troupe from Barpeta led by Bikash Talukdar presented Holi songs with proper accompaniment at Hanuman Mandir at Lachit gar in the city today. If Holika dohon drew a huge crowed at the site yesterday, Rangarong by the troupe from Barpeta mesmerized the audience and Holi revelers there today.

Fancy Bazar in the city was a sea of humanity, and the most eye-catching programme there today was the rain dance. Young and old, and rich and poor, regardless of their caste and creed were seen participating in the dance.

Tomato festival was the special Holi celebration at Brindabon Dargen at RG Baruah Road in the city. Quintals of tomato were smashed by throwing it at one another and by jumping on it.

Doul Govinda Temple at North Guwahati holds Holi for five days, and this year it started the festivity from March 11. The festivity in the temple will conclude on March 15. Slightly away from, what is called a riot of colours, the festivity in the Temple lays stress on devotion and activities like am prasanga, Mahaprabhu Nityasn, arati, cultural programmes and the like.     

Spirituality associated with Holi is also seen at the Holi being organized at the ISKCON Temple at Pub Sarania in the city.

This apart, the festivity was seen at various places in the city and temples. In the face of ruthless festivity, spirituality associated with Holi seems to have beaten. The youths were seen enjoying a lot, but there was also a section of people who tends to term it wastage of money that adds to pollution.

Along with spirituality associated with Holi, the advisory note issued by Kamrup(M) District Administration has also been thoroughly beaten. One of the appeals from the district administration is to celebrate Holi with the purpose of ‘uniting people’ and ‘a victory of truth over evil’. Throwing/pumping/smearing of paints and paint-like materials on persons, both participants and non-participants in connection with Holi in public places, including roads and thoroughfares has also been strictly prohibited. However, such strictures are being violated blatantly in the city. Rain dance, both large-scale and small-scale ones, was seen in the city here and there.