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Holi with a difference!
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The Gowda Saraswat community in the city celebrates Holi differently, on the first Sunday after the full moon, in the month of Phalgun. PRATIMA ASHER on the customs and gaiety that marks the occasion
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THE KONKANI community in Kochi celebrates the festival of Holi, in customs and rituals that are special to them. Variations of the main festival, it is observed after the North Indian Holi and celebrations are spread over a number of days. Many stories, both popular and folk, exist regarding it, basic being the legend of Hiranyakashipu and Holika remains.
Celebrated on a Sunday following the poornima of the month of Phalgun, this day is termed as `hookli'. N. Purushothama Mallaya who has written extensively about the Konkanis says that since the Gowda Saraswat Brahmins trace their earliest ancestry to the Pancha Gowds of the North, this festival marks a oneness with their roots, even though they have hundreds of years of Dravidian ancestry behind them. He adds that since the festival is socio-religious, it is possible that Sunday was specially chosen because on that day, the breadwinners of the family would be free from their business activities to join the revelry. Other Konkanis give similar explanations for the choice of this day. "It has to be held on a Wednesday or a Sunday," says one of them not very clear of the reasons.
The festival is marked with dances and merry-making. As a Konkani folk song goes `Aaji Holi, Phai Poli, Pora Hookli' (Today Holi, tomorrow Poli, the day after Hookli'), perhaps there is more to this refrain than meets the eye.
As many Gowda Saraswat festivals are generally temple linked, celebrations begin with formal permission being acquired from the temple to observe the occasion. Since a large number of community members are settled near the Kochi T. D. Temple, celebrations here have a large participation with many time honoured customs still being observed.
On the specified day an areca nut pole is set up, on a street, behind the temple. It is said that in the past, the pole was brought from the Cochin ruler's palace, with great fanfare and installed at this place. Today, it is acquired by the Devaswom from any of the households in the vicinity. Actually if one visits the spot one finds two arecanut poles. Bunches of plantains have been tied to them. According to Deepa whose family has lived for a long time near the place where the public celebrations are held, there is a story that the two poles represent a male and a female. A fire is lit near the poles on Holi night and children have a merry time around them.
Close to the poles is a peepul tree on which a huge effigy known as a `phodo' is hung up. The Devaswom entrusts the making of this `phodo' to someone adept at the art and it is put up on a Wednesday. The `phodo' has undergone many changes over the years depending on the taste and the fancy of the maker and the favourite villains of the hour. This year's `phodo' has been fashioned to resemble `meesha madhavan', says Deepa's daughter Anupriya. Yamunabai who lives in a house near the peepul tree mentions that the ritual of hanging the `hookli phodo,' in this particular spot has been observed ever since she came here, married sixty years ago. The present peepul tree is 20 years old, replacing an older one at this very place.
On `hookli' day this effigy is removed early morning and taken in procession with music, to the houses nearby. At the homes, offerings of rice, turmeric and money are given to the participants. These, according to Deepa, will be used for cooking a meal, which is placed in four different spots in the area to appease the `pitrus' or the manes. The `phodo' is then taken to Sashtiparambu from where it is brought back in a grand procession marked by dancing and singing and smearing of colour on faces. Several folk dances are characteristic of the procession with many non-Gowda Saraswat Konkani communities joining in. The `phodo' is finally tied between the two poles and burnt. After this the crowd has a bath with water mixed with turmeric. This is followed by a traditional meal consisting of `rontoz' and `toi.'
Deepa believes that this form of `Holi-Hookli' observance is characteristic to the community in Kochi, particularly in this area. It is also observed in Thuravur.
Besides the burning of the `phodo,' children and some adults don masks of animals and demons and go from house to house with a little box to collect money. Sometimes a group might entertain onlookers with a folk dance or art. Nowadays fancy dress competitions are also conducted.
This according to Mr. Mallaya is also an occasion when satire flourishes, a time when barriers are broken and people have the licence to poke fun at all. Very often the satire takes the form of a witty commentary on men and manners. Even children take advantage of the `hookli' licence and undertake to humour their elders.
The entire ceremony is symbolic of a purgation of evil and a process of cleansing.
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