Now that the daily grind of our lives has replaced the euphoric mood and unbridled enthusiasm of the recently held Holi celebrations, I thought it worthwhile to do a deep dive on the Holi-Effect.
This is one festival where everyone lets his/her hair down, exhibit an uninhibitedness which is hard to explain, become fun-loving and forgiving, lower their guards, become more accommodating and develop untapped talents for singing and dancing, show their wild hidden self and a craziness in their passionate desire to just enjoy and have a good time.
What changed? Why this Holi Effect? There must be some explanation.
Maybe there is a child in all of us and this is one day in the year when we allow it to be seen by the world. Maybe we tell our brains to take a walk on this day and let whatever our heart desires. Maybe we are so tired of being judged by people around us that we dedicate just this day not to be judgmental on anyone and are also not afraid of anyone judging us. Maybe we just a need break from our complicated lives and want to live uncomplicated just for a day. Maybe all the Rang Barse type of songs that we have been hearing for so many years make us adventurous and flirtatious on this day. Maybe it is just the Bhang and the Thandai that makes us this new person.
Maybe it is a little bit of all the above.
Whatever be the explanation, we can at least pick up the good in the Holi Effect on other days of the year – like not being judgmental, being child-like and uncomplicated, being more “Dil-Se” than Dimaag-Se, etc. Also, we can remove the undesirable parts in our self in the Holi-Effect. We need to know the limits of decency even in our wild frenzy, to respect ladies and not use the festival as an excuse to get physical or rowdy with them, to be sensitive and considerate to the elderly and to those who are not celebrating for any reason, to not get into drunken stupors and lose all sense of propriety and to not set a bad example to our children who are watching us with great amusement. So, let us be in the Holi-Effect all year around – we can do the colour part next year and the rest we can start every day.
Happy Holi-Effect to all!
by Sanjay Sarda (Supertech Emerald Court; 7838330700)
