Date:04/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/04/stories/2007030415320200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Double dhamaka Holi for the city

Special Correspondent

Festival shifts to Sunday on account of lunar eclipse

All temples remained closed on Saturday

Dry day extended to Sunday too

HOLI RANG LAYE: It was all song and dance for youth on the occasion of the festival of colours in the city on Saturday.-- PHOTO: SATISH. H

HYDERABAD: The confusion over Holi celebration has led to the revelry getting stretched over two days, viz. Saturday and Sunday.

Though the State Government declared a holiday on Saturday, people in several places reserved the `gulal' (colour) for Sunday. The lunar eclipse on Saturday had much to do with the postponement of the festival of colours. As the eclipse is considered inauspicious, several people chose to celebrate the festival on Sunday.

All temples in the State were closed from Saturday evening owing to the eclipse. They will be opened on Sunday morning after the ritualistic cleansing.

The traditional bonfire (kamudu) was delayed on the streets of the State capital as a result of the postponement. The dry day for liquor shops, that was earlier restricted to Saturday, has been extended by one more day.

Holi milan

Notwithstanding these changes, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) went ahead with `Holi milan' on Osmania University campus in a big way. Not a single police constable was around in view of the bitter experience of last year when a confrontation broke out between the revellers and the police force. Artistes of Telangana Dhoom Dham staged performances in front of the Arts College on the campus in the evening.

Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu joined the celebrations at NTR Bhavan, the party headquarters. Tribal youth draped in colours played `kolatam' encircling Mr. Naidu who also tried his hand at the dance.