Fagu festival evolves into decent celebrations

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Mar. 13: People in the hilly and mountainous regions are marking Fagu, the festival of colours, with great fanfare on Thursday, while the people in the Tarai are marking it on Friday. 

The lively festival of water and colours is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Nepal every year on the last full moon day of the Nepali month of Falgun. Fagu, also called Holi, traditionally begins after erecting the Chir (bamboo pole) at Basantapur in Kathmandu. This year, it was erected on Friday symbolizing the formal beginning of the festival. 

On the day of Holi, people gather in public spaces or temple premises to play with colours. In some regions, traditional folk dances or other local dances are also performed. 

Holi celebrations have now become more widespread and commercialised in urban areas like Kathmandu, Pokhara and Biratnagar. Large crowds gather in public spaces, streets and even clubs to celebrate it with music and dance. 

The festival has now grown into a larger commercial and tourist-oriented event especially in cities. Now, the festival has become a major tourist attraction, particularly in Thamel and Basantapur. Many hotels and travel agencies offer special packages for tourists. It brings people together across communities, cultures and even borders. 

Looking back at Holi, celebrations around two decades ago, the scenario now is totally different. Now it is celebrated in a more civilized and decent manner than in the past when it used to be marked in wild manners, especially in cities like Kathmandu. 

Earlier, people used to start celebrating holy a fortnight earlier the actual festival day by throwing water-filled balloons at passersby, mostly girls. As girls used to be the targets, the schools and colleges had to be closed at least for a week during this festival. But now schools run final exams just a day before the Holi festival.

It was very difficult for teenage girls to walk on the road and go to school and college due to sudden and hidden attacks with water-filled balloons.  

Remembering the school days of Holi celebration, Kopila Shrestha, 45, from Swayambhu shared, “The entrance gate of the schools and colleges used to be crowded by boys, including by classmates and senior boys, to throw balloons at us.”  

“The rowdy behaviour of throwing water-filled balloons without our consent hurt us mentally and physically,” she said. She further said, "Boys used to throw water-filled balloons even inside the classrooms while the teacher was teaching us. They did not listen to the teacher.” 

Children also used to throw water-filled plastic bags and balloons from the roofs, windows and passing vehicles a fortnight before the Holi. Water balloons filled with coloured water are a popular part of the celebration, but it was not joyful at that time, she said.  

The anomalies of throwing filled water balloons, plastic bags and colours without the consent have significantly decreased now after the police began arresting offenders and implementing tight security during the Holi festival.  

Besides the colour and water, Holi symbolises the arrival of spring and end of winter. The festival is associated with King Bali, Lord Krishna, Prahlad and Holika.  

Lighting of a bonfire, known as Holika Dahan, symbolises the victory of good over evil. The bonfire represents the burying of Holika.  

Even outside the Kathmandu Valley, a visible change can be observed in ways of marking the festival. Police and administration impose measures to control rowdy activities.  

According to our Mahottari correspondent, police administration has tightened security to prevent criminal and unruly activities during the Holi. 

Special security arrangements have been made to discourage unwanted activities in the name of the festival. The Armed Police Force has also been mobilised, the security agencies said.

Likewise, special security alert has been issued in the districts of Lumbini Province for Fagu to ensure peaceful celebrations of Holi on Thursday and Friday. 

As per the Province Police Office, special security arrangements have been adopted in all the districts to control unwanted activities on the occasion of Holi.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Dan Bahadur Karki, Chief of the Province Police Office, said that a large number of security personnel have been deployed in all districts in the province.