Holi festivities end

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

IMPHAL, March 10: The five-day Holi festivities in Manipur came to end around midnight. The drums and other instruments for the folk dance came to a stilted silence last night.

In the past, the revellers used to have fun and folk dances for months together without caring two hoots for the students who are preparing for examitions and other disturbances including noise pollution.

As in the recent past people had paid full attention to the sports events organised in all localities. Gone are the days when people splurged money in spraying or daubing colours and other merry makings.

This Hindu festival was imposed on the Manipuris once the king with the collaboration of the Hindu missiories had forced the new religion on the unwilling people.

The Hindu Manipuris went many steps further by prolonging the merry making. No newspaper was brought out during the five day festival. Though the government holiday is for two days only, life in the government offices came to a standstill for the five day period.