AE (Part 2)
Holi celebrations at AE (Part 2) were about much more than colours. The evening before, residents set on fire a “neda pora” outside block market. This is a Bengali custom of burning a pyre the day before Dol.
“And we also barbecue potatoes in that fire,” said Tapas Sengupta, secretary of AE Block Samaj Kalyan Sangha, which is the residents’ welfare association of the block. “It’s quite a delicacy and residents wait for it round the year. Laddoos are distributed till the potatoes are ready to be eaten.”
Later that night was Holika Dahan and this ritual drew an even larger crowd, many of whom had started visiting from the afternoon itself. Local councillor Sabyasachi Dutta and wife Indrani Dutta presided over the puja as priests chanted mantras.
The next morning residents played Holi together, danced and enjoyed snacks. In the evening nine residents above the age of 75 were felicitated. “This is almost a ritual of our block on the day of Holi and this time we feted mostly those who have recently turned 75,” said Sengupta. A guest group from New Town, Kalapi, performed music, dance and recitation too.
BK Block
BK Block resumed its probhat pheri on the morning of Holi after five years this time. “Participation had started dwindling a few years ago and then of course was the forced pause by the pandemic,” said Chandrasekhar Bag, the block’s cultural secretary, who organised the event.
This year’s walk drew robust footfall. “We began with 35 women and 25 men but many more joined us mid-way, especially women. We had more than 50 women by the time we concluded the walk at the community hall,” said Bag. Block president Rabindra Dokania participated too.
Rabindrasangeet like Ore grihobasi, Rangiye diye jao and Nil digante were played on a speaker and also sung live by participants.
The lawn before the community hall had been done up for the cultural programmes in the evening but had to be shifted indoors when it started raining.
Kids like Sreshtha Ghosh of Class V and the youngest participant, Ishani Bhattacharya of Class II, danced, while Abigyan Ghosh recited. There was a chorus of songs like Dakhin hawa jago jago and Rangiye diye jao by ladies like Debasmita Mukherjee, Arpita Mukherjee, Arpita Banerjee and Swati Ghosh.
“We started late…past 8 ’o clock, due to the rains, and so the show continued till 11pm. Still, residents stayed back to watch it all,” smiled Bag, who himself sang Ektuku choa lago with two others.
CK-CL Block
While probhat pheri has its charm, gathering residents for this morning walk had started getting difficult in these twin blocks. “People get tired walking in the heat so we shifted focus to the colours,” said one of the organisers, Mousumi Dutta. “And this time, more than 150 people turned up.”
The play area in CK-CL Park was cordoned off and strips of colourful cloth formed a shed up above. The dress code was white, yellow or orange and multi-coloured nail polish, earrings and sunglasses were suggested too. In a bid to play safe, revellers were asked not to get colours and the block provided superior quality abir to make merry.
Twelve women danced to a mash-up of Holi songs like Rang bares and Balam Pichkari and the reverse side of an old flex was put to good use. “We asked everyone to dip their palms in colour and leave their prints on it,” smiled Mousumi.