Holy rainbow of Sowcarpet

Chennai, March 5:

Holi, the festival of colours, is hardly celebrated in this South Indian city — but Sowcarpet, one of the oldest parts of Chennai, is an exception.

This sprawling neighborhood in the northern part of Chennai, has a sizeable number of North Indians, who add colour to this city during this spring festival.

In Tamil Nadu, it is observed around the legend of Kama Deva, the god of Love. On this day, melodies are sung that reiterate the tragic story of his wife, Rati, and her grievances. It is also known as, Kamavilas, Kaman Pandigai and Kama-Dahanam.

Marwaris from Gujarat and Rajasthan have made this bustling area their home for years now. The celebrations, at least in this part of the city are as grand as in any of the north Indian cities. The colourful festival brightens up the already brightened Marwari dominated Sowcarpet streets!

Mr.Baskar, 60, Om Niketan Temple manager says,”We light a pyre a day before Holi, at 6:30pm, which is followed by a small prayer session. On the main day of Holi, we have a big prayer session. A lot of Marwaris families come for the aarti. My grandfather moved to this locality in 1940’s from Gujarat. Earlier, we were mainly into money lending business, but now we are into other businesses as well. Holi is a big festival for us. I have childhood memories of playing Holi here.”

Till recently, Holi, was not celebrated in Chennai as in different parts of India. Yet, that isn’t the situation any longer! With a lot of North Indians moving to the city, pockets of the city such as Anna Nagar and Kilpauk actively celebrate this festival.

Vinod, a shop keeper at Kakada Ram Prasad sweets, says,” We see a lot of clients coming to buy sweets every year during Holi. We sell Holi special gujiya’s, an indian sweet. Holi is a big event for our Marwadi community,be it in any part of the country.”

Numerous Holi parties take place in public grounds or in school grounds in this locality. One such party which happens every year takes place in Aggarwal school playground. People in huge numbers make beeline into the school playground with Holi colours and play for hours.

Lalitha, a resident of Sowcarpet, who moved in Chennai from Gujarat ten years ago with her family, says, “Our celebrations begin a day prior to the festival. In our Rajasthani culture, we take a garland of flowers to our brother’s house and put coloured power, a religious symbol on our brother’s forehead, and seek his blessings. Holi is one festival, to which people of all ages look forward. Children have already started throwing water balloons on one other. We also prepare sweets and thandai (a drink made of milk with crushed dry fruits and other ingredients). Men add bhang to their drink. It’s an old tradition to drink Bhang, female cannabis plant.”

Vijay, a Pan Shop owner, who sells Bhang, says that the demand during Holi is really high. Many small pan shop owners sell Bhang under the table here. He adds, “After all, Buranamano, Holi Hai!( don’t mind after all its Holi). Holi is incomplete without bhang.”

Where there is Bhang, there are colours. From dry to wet to crystal to organic and herbal, colours of all variants are sold here. But ironically, none of them are from the North.

Sirinu, who has been selling colours for years, says,” We do not celebrate this festival. It’s not a part of our south Indian culture. Some modern families do celebrate nowadays as it’s a trend, but we don’t. This is a business for us. We earn our living out of selling Holi colours.”

Despite the fact that Chennai does not have a public holiday on Holi or Chennaites in particular don’t celebrate Holi, Sowcarpet is a little Holi paradise and is filled with enthusiasts smeared in colours.