The changing colours of Holi

Pushpesh Pant

Holi is one of the major festivals of India. Often it is called the festival of colours. However, that is only one part of the festivities. The day following the full moon night during the month of Falgun announces the start of spring. Mango buds begin to open; a manifestation, perhaps, of this open season that encourages no-holds-barred frolicking.

Matar-Nimona kachori

Ingredients

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• Refined flour 500 g
• Ghee 100 g
• Kalonji (onion) seeds 1 tsp
• Green peas 100 g
• Tomato (medium) 2
• Onion (medium) 2
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Potato (medium) 1
• Garlic 1 tsp
• Ginger 1 tsp
• Hing 1/6 tsp
• Cumin powder 1 tsp
• Chat masala 1 tsp
• Amchoor powder 1 tsp
• Tamarind chutney 1 tsp
• Mint chutney 1 tsp
• Cucumber 2-inch piece
• Green chillies 5-6
• Green coriander (fresh) 1 tsp
• Lemon juice 1 tsp
• Salt To taste
• Oil to fry

Method: Knead refined flour with ghee, salt and kalonji seeds. Add enough water to make dough. Rest it for 40 minutes and then shape it into individual dumplings. If you want, you can stuff this dough with dry fruits and fry, or make a filling of ingredients below and stuff and fry. Make sure to fry on moderate heat.

To make stuffing for nimona: Boil green peas , drain. In a pan put ghee, add hing , chopped garlic, ginger, green chillies, sliced onion and cook for 10 minutes or until it’s cooked well. Add green peas and other spices, chopped tomato and boiled potato, chat masala, amchoor powder and fresh green coriander.

For side serving: Deseed and chop cucumber, onion and reserve some chopped green chillies, green corriander and lemon juice and mix.

To serve: Plate the matar nimona at base, place fried kachori on top. Drizzle some mint and tamarind chutney and serve with cucumber mix.

Holi, we tend to forget, started as Madanotsava in ancient times, dedicated to Madan aka Kamadev — the Indian Cupid. This finds mention in famous Sanskrit plays that date to the Gupta period. With time, other legends got associated with Holi, all emphasising on sharing one’s blessings and good cheer with not only family and friends, but also with strangers.

In the hills of Uttarakhand where our childhood was spent, the run-up to Holi started as early as in the month of Paush (roughly corresponding to December) and baithaks of traditional Holi songs helped endure long winter nights. The mood of these songs was serious though. This was Bairagi Holi, not concerned with union or separation of lovers but focused on existential issues. The host ensured regular supply of steaming metal tumblers full of chai to replenish ebbing energy levels, accompanied by spicy aloo ke gutke (potato wedges), fried in mustard oil, tempered with jambu aromatic grass that grows wild in Tibet.

However, romance was not banished. Some songs had verses about Shiva and Parvati — the Lord sprinkling vibhuti (ash) on the snow-crested Himalayan peaks, which turned scarlet with rays of the setting sun to please his consort.

In Varanasi, too, Shiva has been the protagonist during Holi festivities. He and his euphoric cohorts know no restrictions: “Khele masane mein Hori Digambar, khele masane mein Hori! Na koi Shyam na koi Radha, na koi rok na baadha…”

With the whiff of spring in the air, the mood changed along with the weather. As winter receded, the Holi baithaks made way for khari Holi (literally standing Holi). Bands of youngsters dressed in spotless white roamed from village to village singing of the frolics of Radha and Krishna in Brindavana. Compositions resonated with ribaldry: “Bhar pichkari aur bich mari ho gayi angiya tung” or “Chal urr ja bhanwar to ke marenge”.

This is the Holi depicted in Rajput and Pahari miniature paintings and this depiction has inspired countless generations of Kathak dancers, ras revellers, Thumri and Dadra singers: “Barjori karo na mo se Hori mein” or “Aaj Baraj mein Hori re rasiya”.

While songs in the baithaks were usually set to classical ragas like Kafi, the itinerant choirs regaled audiences with free-flowing folk songs in the Kumaon and Garhwali dialects and their mood was decidedly erotic. Shringar rasa was dominant and the bawdy lyrics skated on the proverbial ‘thin ice’. Risqué jokes and impromptu rhyming alluded to local scandals. Trysts and seductions were remarked upon claiming immunity granted by tradition: Bura na mano Holi Hai!

Nothing was taboo. Not even gender-bending role reversals. “Mohan Murari bane manihari, nar se nari bane Nandlala, koi hai choori lenewala…” Classical vocalist Savita Devi sang a wonderful number that has gopis egging one another to teach their tormentor Krishna a lesson by turning him from a bullying boy into a helpless girl by forcing him to cross-dress in a saree, “Pahinao Shyam ko saree, banao nar se nari”. Women have had an upper hand in the lathmar Holi of Barsana (Radha’s birthplace). Clouds of abir-gulal rise as ladies wield thick sticks and menfolk try to avoid the blows.

In Awadh, the protagonists changed. Ram and Sita participated in joyous celebrations with modesty and grace. However, the common folk didn’t have such constraints. The boisterous spraying and sprinkling of colour over, what followed was a light lunch (more often than not karhi chawal) and a siesta. The evening was reserved for Holi milan. In days gone by, it was customary in Awadh to congregate in a public venue.

With joyous singing and dancing in groups, Holi milan is essentially carefree mingling with rang, bhaang and dhol. The different streams of Holi in Uttarakhand, Braj, Awadh and Varanasi share one thing in common — it is a day when people intermingle, breaking all class-caste barriers and share food and drink, gaily participating in song and dance.

Punjab has its historical connect with the festival in form of Hola Mohalla, celebrated a day after Holi. This tradition was started by Guru Gobind Singh. Instead of colours, the Guru made the festival, spread across three days, an occasion for the Sikhs to demonstrate their martial skills in simulated battles. The first-ever celebrations were held in Anandpur in February 1701.

However, the pandemic has changed the way we live as well as the way we celebrate our festivals. Traditional Holi celebration patterns, too, changed during Covid-19 with social distancing norms in place. It is only after two years that one can breathe a little easy. People are slowly learning to live with the virus that is constantly mutating and getting less lethal.

To be honest, the bright colours of Holi had started fading even before Covid. In recent years, there has been increasing concern about harmful synthetic chemicals in abir and gulal and adulteration of edible sweets. Natural and fragrant organic abir-gulal are slowly making a comeback while the traditional eats are beginning to don a new avatar. Sugarless gujhiya, laddoo and barfi are gaining in popularity. Alas, thandai, the super coolant that triggered a euphoric high, has been yielding ground to low-alcohol craft beer and wines.

All this changed in a blink when Covid struck. It became impossible to step out of the house during the lockdown. Many who lived in the cities relied on neighbourhood sweet shops to buy gujhiya, namkeen and other snacks usually served to guests. However, as the hospitality business was hit hard by Covid-19, one had to make do with whatever was available. Holi in 2020-21 was understandably a subdued affair.

We, like a few other friends, tried to celebrate the festival at least symbolically at home. As one couldn’t step out, the kitchen became the arena to play with colours. Awadhi sisranga pulav that showcases six vibrant colours in a handi provided the inspiration to improvise. The dish is stunning to look at but is quite simple to assemble. The trick is to separate grains of rice with different tints by dividers and confine them to their sections. Once the rice is steamed, the dividers can be carefully removed. The more challenging part is to flavour the multi-coloured rice differently. The palak (spinach)-induced green can also be redolent of coriander, mint and green chillies, while the orange tint can be added by carrots, turmeric or saffron, which brings a subtle sweetness as well. Beetroot brought the pink to magenta spectrum on the platter. Kanji added the astringent pungency. Tangy tomato puree contributed the scarlet hue. If you like your food hot, add dried whole red chillies, deseeded and ground to paste, to enliven the tomatoes. The milky white segment was enhanced as thayir sadam (curd rice) from Tamil Nadu that had fresh coconut kernels. Mini gujhiyas were air fried and the samosas were baked. Modaks were steamed in an idli steamer.

Beverages, too, reflected the colours of the rainbow. Red sherbet or Gul-e-Gudhhal (hibiscus), palash-buransh (flame of forest and rhododendron) sherbet, yellow bael patthar (wood apple) sherbet, green amla-adrak juice, violet-magenta kanji, kokum juice and the white hues of thandai. Preparing turmeric tea and myriad fruit-and-flower tea infusions kept us busy when time hung on our hands and the mind was full of distressing thoughts.

This year promises to be better but caution can’t be thrown to the wind. Discretion, as always, is the better part of valour. It will be wise to wait for some more time before carefree traditional Holi revelries can be resumed. Till then, hum or play your favourite musical Holi compositions, whether folksy or filmy, and let flavourful food and fragrances dispel gloom.

Holi Mubarak!