Holi ( होळी )

Holi ( होळी ) brings to the fore certain characters that stayed with me even after many decades . Raju Agashe  was the main protagonist who took the leadership  mantle  to organise Holi . 

Preparations of holi  would start one week before the event . Kids must display their loyalty to  seniors by offering all they could to make Holi  a success  . And every kid did this diligently - leaving aside all the  home assignments and giving up of playing cricket . Mahim creek provided abundant source of dried leaves  . Immediately upon arrival from the school , kids would rush  to this  dirty , filthy marshy creek where all the industrial waste was being dumped . This place full of mangroves - was the main fodder for bonfire . While mangroves are beings  cut , guys like me would watch  Raju and his clan with all awe - their dangling  three cigarettes in mouth and chugging out concentric smoke  rings while someone described the process of  making illicit spurious liquor that was being ferried in wooden canoes . Once the mangroves were cut , they needed to be tied with thick rope and team of 3-4 guys be formed to drag these mangroves along the streets  bringing  them to the terrace of Agashe family . A proud accomplishment indeed ! 

On the day of the Holi , atmosphere be of jamboree . Kids were not allowed to go to the terrace . This privilege was given to seniors . But I was curious what is that they did on the terrace . Junior kids would gather with tin ( often Dalda Ghee whose top was cut and later was used as a pot for the plant in the balcony  ) banging with the wooden stick  and screaming while Holi was being lit up ... 

होळी रे होळी 

पुरणाची पोळी

****** ढुगंणात

बंदुकीची गोळी 

This was followed by

******* बैलाला ढोल

******* नानाची टांग ...

****** was assigned to the people who refused to part away their money towards this social cause of setting up Holi Celebration . One such person who consistently figured every look years was  Mr Chellaram  . He steadfastly refused to pay donation for Holi . Irony was , he stayed right above the floor that Raju Agashe stayed . 

Bulk of this donation was used to consume liquor and food by ‘ so called ‘ Organisers ( seniors) . When  I look back  , I feel Mr Chellaram was the most sensible and courageous person of  defying  the diktats of these hooligans. 

These senior Organisers would make kids sit  in the circle banging on their tins , chanting the abusive mantras without knowing any meaning . But sheer frenzy of banging and screaming was good enough to remember it even after few decades . 

Once Mahesh Telyani -  a friend of my younger brother asked who is this Chellaram that we are shouting . Poor fellow - he had no idea that was his father . Such was the innocence of kids and such was the crooked behaviour of seniors .

Holi was definitely one of the major festival where baptism  for all rotten and wrong things was initiated at an early age . 

As luck would have it , I neither followed footsteps of Raju Agashe nor become Mr Chellaram . It would be interesting to see reaction if my daughter , when I let her ready this story to her . She is now almost the same age as I was when I ferried those mangroves .