KARACHI: Each year without fail, on the first full moon of March, most people belonging to the Hindu community gather in the big ground behind the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Karachi to celebrate Holi, the festival of colours. But this year, it was decided to begin celebrations one day earlier keeping in view the Shab-i-Bara’at falling on the following day.

Well, who needs an excuse to celebrate? Every member of the Hindu community was game as the ground filled up. In fact, they were buying the colours and other stuff even a few days ahead of the festival.

Daksha Kumari entered the ground gates with her cheeks already painted green. “Oh, we also celebrated Holi at our college, the Fatima Jinnah Dental College, this afternoon. This is from there,” the future dentist laughingly explained to Dawn.

Right in the middle of the ground was the teepee tent shaped Holi Mata created from tying up several logs of wood that were then decorated with red and gold chunri. And around it, preparing for the pooja was the pujari jee (Hindu priest) along with the ladies in their pretty saris hurriedly getting the poojathaalis ready. They had been fasting since dawn and they were going to break their fast after the pooja. That explained the lingering smells of boiled rice and vegetable curry in the air.

A newly married couple, Dr Joshna and Kapil Kumar, were waiting to take part in the pooja and receive blessings. Dressed in an exquisite beige and maroon saree, Dr Joshna said it was okay if her pretty dress got destroyed in the festivities. “I will happily accept it as Bhagwan Jee’s will if the colours don’t come off my sari,” she smiled. Asked if she was also fasting, she nodded.

“Most married women fast from morning till evening on Holi,” said Velsi Patel, the pujari jee. “As for young girls, they only pray. They don’t fast. Of course after pooja, everyone indulges in drenching each other and splashing colours from which no one is spared,” he smiled, adding that only women fast on Holi.

The aarti of the Holi Mata started exactly at 8pm. The thaalis with pooja materials were passed around the Mata as it was set ablaze. The pujari jee started reading loudly from the scriptures as the logs of wood perished.

The impatient kids, of course, could not be expected to wait for long. No one even tried stopping them from chasing each other down and splashing colour on each other as it kept them away from disturbing the elders during pooja.

Two friends sat quietly on some steps watching the festivities from afar. Meera Sanjirah said she didn’t want to leave her friend Shanti Teelani alone. “She has recently had a knee surgery so she can’t move around very fast. And you really need to be energetic to enjoy Holi. We are both old women now. We are happy just watching the others play,” said Meera as Shanti nodded in agreement.

Just then the pujari jee went silent, the Holi Mata was gone. There was loud music and dancing. The grownups also had to prove that when it came to celebrating, they were in no way behind the kids. Out came the little plastic pouches of powder colour as did the water pistols, water canons, water balloons and the big syringes full of colour.

“Holi Hai!” Someone shouted in delight from behind where the two elderly friends Meera and Shanti were sitting. And soon their cheeks and arms were also flashing hues of green, blue, purple, yellow and pink like everyone else in the ground. “Happy Holi!” Meera wished Shanti as she smeared bright red colour on her forehead. And with a glint in her eyes, Shanti, too, snatched the little pouch from her friend to reciprocate. “Happy Holi!” she repeated.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2022