KARACHI: Holi celebrations for many Hindu devotees from the city turned out to be very different this year as the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) decided to add more cheer to the festival by organising a music and dance programme at the Manora Beach Park on Manora Island here on Monday.

The day-long programme saw community members of all ages boogie-woogie as they rubbed colour on each other’s cheeks besides dousing each other with coloured water. There were bags full of powder water colours to choose from or mix up to create a new hue from the available red, pink, yellow, blue, purple and green.

Several people arrived by road while many others by boat from Keamari to celebrate Holi. Then after paying their respects at the historic Varun Dev Temple at Manora, they headed for the Beach Park.

The children had arrived fully prepared with their water pistols and water canons, which they loaded up with colour mixtures of their liking. Those who had come without such arsenal also refused to be left behind in any kind of naughtiness as they reached for the small drinking water bottles, of course, to pour over each other.

Big event held on Manora Island to celebrate Holi

There was also popular Holi music playing loudly in the background with hit Bollywood numbers such as ‘Rang Barse’, ‘Kitna Maza Araha Hai’, etc., keeping not just the feet tapping but bodies spinning, hopping, jumping, shaking and swaying in order to keep up with the rhythm and beat of the songs. The shouting and screaming with laughter also drowned in the loud music.

On the occasion, devotees also cut a special Holi cake. Krishan Sagar, PHC’s chief coordinator, said Holi was not just a celebration of colour to welcome spring, but also of truth winning over lies.

Sagar also said that the idea to celebrate Holi at the Beach Park came to him when he was wondering how to not disturb his Muslim brothers and sisters in Ramazan. “The idea of holding our celebration on this semi-private beach, away from the city came to me then,” he said.

Murli Gul of PHC’s Marriage Bureau said that they were also joined in the celebrations by more devotees who came from other cities such as Larkana, Ghotki, Kashmore, etc.

Satish Kumar, a devotee, who joined in the celebrations from DHA, said that it was the first time for the PHC to be celebrating Holi at Manora, which he thought was a great idea. Asked if he didn’t mind burning so much fuel to get there, he shook his head and smiled. “The festival carries more value. And it takes place only once a year, so why not?” he reminded.

Kashish, Ratna, Pooja and little baby Anaya were also there from Clifton to enjoy Holi with their family members.

Young Jai Prakash, a student of class eight, was also very happy and excited to be there and pay his respects at the old temple.

Earlier, on the eve of Holi, there were also celebrations at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on M.A. Jinnah Road.

The evening celebration is different from the daytime one. There was the ritual of puja or prayers and the burning of the Holi Mata in the middle of the big ground behind the temple.

Devotees, mostly women, who were fasting from dawn till the time of the burning of the Mata, broke their fast after the puja, which included prayers for the prosperity of the country.

Later, everyone also got busy splashing colour on each other amid music and dancing and wishing each other a happy Holi or “Holi Hai!”.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2024