Colours, chants and tradition mark Holika Dahan celebrations

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: As popular Hindi film songs like, ‘Holi Khele Raghuveera’ and ‘Rang Barse Bheege Chunarwali’ played in the background, traditional Holi rituals and aarti were performed at various locations across the city on Monday evening. This was followed by celebrations, with people enthusiastically throwing colours and shouting each other’s names. Many revellers were so drenched in colours that their faces were barely recognisable.

Although public Holika Dahan took place on Monday evening, the city had already begun to resemble a Dhulivandan celebration. Students, especially outside schools and colleges, were seen applying colours to one another. Many school students arrived in casual attire instead of their uniforms. After school hours, students took out colours from their bags and playfully smeared them on friends. Similar scenes were witnessed outside colleges, where students shouted loudly while throwing colours, with the festive chants echoing across the premises.

Depiction of Holika burnt at Shahaganj

At Gandhi Putla Chowk in Shahaganj, the Navsarvajanik Ganesh Mandal installed a depiction based on the mythological story of Holika, the sister of Hiranyakashyap, seated with devotee Prahlad on an Erand (castor) tree structure. The unique installation attracted considerable attention, with passers-by capturing photographs that were widely shared on social media. Anand Bharuka, Laxminarayan Rathi, along with local traders and residents, performed the rituals and aarti before the ceremonial burning of Holika at around 7.30 pm.

Symbolic burning of social evils

Kshitij Organisation carried out its annual symbolic Holika Dahan of social evils at Gulmandi and Aurangpura Chowk. Placards highlighting issues such as violence, obscenity, corruption, addiction, casteism and injustice were hung on a small castor tree as part of the initiative.

Holika Dahan performed outside homes

While public celebrations took place across the city, many families also performed Holika Dahan outside their homes. On this occasion, cultural traditions and practices were shared with the younger generation. Residents in areas such as Cidco-Hudco, Pundaliknagar and Shivajinagar performed traditional Holika Dahan either in the afternoon or evening.

Sale of 10,000 cow dung cakes

More than 10,000 cow dung cakes were sold across the city during the day for Holi celebrations, with each priced at Rs 10. Vendors had stocked up on these items over the past three months in preparation for the festival.

Captions

--- Kshitij Organisation performed the symbolic Holika Dahan of social evils at Gulmandi–Aurangpura Chowk by hanging placards on a castor tree. Activists holding the placards drew public attention to the initiative.

-- A depiction of devotee Prahlad seated on Holika installed by Navsarvajanik Ganesh Mandal at Shahaganj attracted widespread attention.