“ Wow! Look at the crowds, Amma! This is exciting!” said Taran. Amma squeezed his hand. The family was dressed in yellow, according to the theme, and making its way to Viswa Bharati University in Santiniketan, West Bengal.
They were visiting at a special time: Holi, the Basanta Utsav celebration. Stalls were selling colours: red, blue, green, and yellow. “Holi, the festival that marks the beginning of spring! Appa, just look at all the colours here; and all organic!” declared Taran, buying packets in all colours.
Vibrant celebrations “Santiniketan University was started in 1901 with the vision of offering the best of Western and Indian education amid Nature by Rabindranath Tagore. He later won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Some of the core values are a deep appreciation for art, culture and nature.
True to the values here, the colours will be organic; no surprise there,” said Appa. “I read that the Holi celebrations here are unique. It starts with some cultural programmes,” said Amma.
As she spoke, poems and songs wafted through the air. Students and locals were singing and dancing to Rabindra sangeet and making their way to the maidan . It was a beautiful display of creativity, culture and communal harmony.
“Let’s play Holi! Shubho Basanta Utsav !” shouted someone. Soon tourists from around the world, locals, students and teachers were smearing each other with colours. “It’s called abir khela ; the exchange of dry colours and flowers in a playful .
