Badin/Karachi:
It’s the festival too good over evil. It’s the festival for Welcome Spring. It’s Triumph Festival. It’s a festival for everyone. It’s the color festival. It’s Holi – Happy Holi!
One of the great Hindu festivals, Holi, has been celebrated over Sindh with religious and cultural zeal.
“For me, it’s more of a cultural festival than a religious,” commented Mukesh Meghwar, an activist and educational man from Badin. “We [Hindus] Celebrate it with our own community and friends [Muslims]. We share the colors – the colors of life. “
He said most of his friends in Umerkot have celebrated the festival for the past three days. “They have tried to break the silence. They have tried to bring peace in the area. They have tried to deter fear,” he added.
“At this special occasion, we celebrate colors because they are universal and they have their own meanings that we should all understand,” Meghwar said.
Some of the biggest Holi events took place in Mithi and Umerkot – the two major cities where Hindus are in the majority. Muslims also joined the festivities in these cities as well as in Hyderabad, Sukkur and Karachi.
Prof KS Nagpal, a senior education and author, told The Express Pakinomist that he celebrated Holi in Kandhkot. “Colors are everywhere. This is a festival of happiness and tells the story of triumph over tyranny.”
Most people on this occasion wear their old clothes, and according to Prof Nagpal, this is a festival for the poor. “Special dishes are prepared for this festival. We throw colors at each other to spread joy and mark the beginning of a new journey in life.”
“Holi gives you the message of harmony. It also gives you hope. It is a festival of happiness that everyone will enjoy,” explained Prof Nagpal. He added that Holi for the people of Sindh will really be celebrated when water is restored to the Indus River.
In Karachi, Holi was celebrated in different parts of the city, especially in the old urban areas, including Narainpura, Saddar, Clifton and other sites.
The caretaker of the Ganian Mandir in Mauripur said his community celebrated the day on Thursday. “The parties started in the morning and continued until late at night,” he said. “Special prayers were offered for peace and prosperity in our country,” he concluded.
Mukhi Sahil, a resident of Umerkot, said it was the first time the festival really felt alive. “Umerkot was different this year. The markets remained closed. Everyone participated – Hindus and Muslims.” He added that Dhandhya made the festival even more colorful. “Dhandya Dance was arranged in different places.” He said thousands of people from the city and nearby areas participated in Holi’s late evening programs.
Due to Ramazan, most of the programs were arranged after Iftar.
