Off-colour and unruly

Holi, however, takes on more insidious aspects as people tend to abuse the liberties allowed by the festival. It now goes without saying that Holi is often ‘played’ with unwilling ‘participants’ and that the levity that goes with this colour carnival is sometimes coterminous with sexual harassment.

The motto and manners of Holi, as celebrated over the past few years, are a far cry from the ones that must have attended on it when Krishna, Radha and the gopikas ‘played’ Holi. The citizens of Vrindaban — in the true spirit of welcoming the season of renewal and colours — must have sprayed coloured water and smeared one another with phalgu (or gulal), with which the month of Phalguna that begins with Holi shares its name.

In times not so immemorial, Holi celebrations in the Hindi heartland still retained much of the original spirit (the convivial carousal in cultured circles with song, dance and quality dalliance as portrayed in the film, Silsila, for instance). At its high, sublime end the celebration afforded the devout

Vaishnavait a stepping stone from which to plunge into the trance of Bhakti rasa. At its low end, it would of course be four-five hours of colour riot.

To many, the Holi period spells nuisance if not trouble. To the police, it means a period of preoccupation. To the schoolgirl, a period of trepidation. Two decades ago there was not, for example, the ubiquitous ‘balloon’. The latex missile, like any other missile however innocuous, is still a flying surprise that offends. Fun at the cost of another’s dignity is something people can overlook (balloon attacks during the build-up period to Holi are now officially recognised) perhaps half the time. But not always. Things can get out of hand. And they do.

Life two or three days prior to Holi can become a nightmare for school-going teenage girls. With Holi round the corner, road rogues would already be on the rampage. This Holi, some cities saw car-borne youths slapping colour over certain parts the bodies of hapless pedestrians that would mortify them. Now, is this our idea of celebrating Holi, the carnival of colour and goodwill?

Holi icons of yore, Krishna and Radha, must have disported themselves with grace; and elegance and good sense besides fun must have been the keynote of the celebration. But as we witness the present-day Holi, our myth-laden memories give way to incredulity. Was this the Holi they ‘played’, we might ask.