Amid post-election tensions, Guyanese celebrate Phagwah

Mar 10, 2020 News

Amid post-election tensions and major Hindu organizations cancelling their annual Phagwah celebrations, Guyanese still came out in their numbers to celebrate the religious holiday, yesterday.
Known also as Holi, Phagwah is an ancient religious Hindu festival which originated in India in the month of Phagoon on the Hindu calendar, several hundred years before the birth of Christ.
It is the festival of colours in honour of the Hindu God, Vishnu. It is also a festival of love of Radha, the perceived adulterous lover of Lord Krishna, the most widely revered and most popular of all Indian divinities. The festival is sacred to the Hindu religion.
Holi celebrations start on Basant Panchmi which is the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu month ÔMaghÕ.
On this day, in keeping with tradition, homage is done to Saraswati Devi the goddess of knowledge and a castor oil tree is planted as a symbolic act.
During a period of 40 days from Basant Panchmi to Holika Dahan, melodies of chowtaal ÔdhamaarÕ and jati renditions can be heard across the country at Hindu temples and homes.
Holika Dahan or burning of the Holika (castor oil tree) takes place on Phalgun Purnima or the full moon day of the Hindu month Phalgun. It is the last day of the Hindu Calendar year and forty days after Basant Panchmi.
On this day, a pyre is built around the castor oil tree which is ignited at the appropriate time as a symbolic act recalling the day when the sister of the tyrannical King Hiranyakashyapu, who had a boon which made her immune to the effect of fire, sought to have her own nephew Prahalad consumed in fire at the command of her evil brother, the King Hiranyakashyapu. Prahalad however, escaped unscathed and Holika was reduced to ashes instead.
This event symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.
The festivities officially usher in the arrival of spring and are the spiritual influence over the environment to aid in successful crops. They are the thanksgiving of a good harvest. The festival date varies from year to year on the Hindu calendar.
Typically the festival which lasts for two days is celebrated on the day of the full moon which falls somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March.
It is an occasion for people to enjoy the changing seasons and make new friends. For many Hindus, the festival also marks the beginning of the New Year when people renew relationships with old acquaintances.
In Guyana, Phagwah celebrations are not limited to just Hindus. In fact, all six races partake in the colourful festivities. Celebrations start from early in the mornings; persons come out in their numbers shout “Happy Holi” greetings.
The men from the Hindu communities walk around their villages singing chowtaal while the women are usually at home preparing Indian delicacies such as gulaab jamoon, gojha, gul-gula, pholourie, etc
In the afternoons, the colours come out to play. Everyone is dressed in white and carries around with them containers or bags filled with abrak, powder, perfumes and water guns filled with abeer.
Yesterday, persons were in relatively high spirits, despite the cloud of uncertainty created by the contentious election issues.

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