After about 35 years of holding their Holika Dahan event at BC Block, organisers were forced to change the location after residents complained it was causing pollution.

Salt Lake Sanskrit Sansad has for years gathered its members at a plot next to the BC community hall to celebrate Holika Dahan on the eve of Holi. The festival symbolises the victory of good over evil, reminiscing the legend of Prahlad and his aunt Holika, who tried to burn him but failed.

However, in mid-January this year, residents of BC Block wrote a letter to their councillor Anindya Chatterjee, asking him not to allow the event as it creates a lot of smoke and causes respiratory problems in children and senior citizens living nearby. They also wrote to the chairman of the National Green Tribunal, eastern zone bench, the chairman of the state pollution control board (PCB), the mayor and the police commissioner.

Meanwhile the Sansad, on January 24, sent a letter to councillor Chatterjee seeking, like every year, 500 sq ft area from 6pm to 10.30pm on March 9 for Holika Dahan. But he wrote to them on January 31, asking them to find another spot this year.

“In February, the PCB contacted me too saying it’s an offence to be burning waste and other materials that cause pollution,” said Chatterjee. “They said they would take action if I allowed the burning but I informed them I had already refused permission to the organisation to hold the event anywhere in my ward,” said Chatterjee.

The Holika Dahan happened as per schedule but the venue was shifted to CB Park. Women dressed in red saris brought thalis with auspicious items and devotees circled the pyre and tied the structure with sacred threads. Most of them waited till the end to take home remains of the burnt pyre as blessings.

“The festival burns cowdung, which is a natural product. Pollution is minimal. Even the music we played was not too loud as we didn’t want to disturb the neighbourhood,” insisted Suresh Gupta, a core committee member of the Sansad. Lalit Beriwala, the president, claimed that the pyre exterminates germs and mosquitoes.

Devotees pray before the Holika Dahan pyre in CB Block (Basudeb Behera)

Nikunj Mimani of CB Block had come with his cousin for the Holika Dahan. “This much smoke can hardly be called pollution. If they really want to crackdown they should stop fire crackers during Diwali,” he said.

Vini Lohia, who had come from the Manikaran complex on the Bypass, felt devotees would not compromise on the festival. “Instead of many pyres like this, maybe they should hold one combined event on behalf of everyone,” she suggested.

Some said Holika Dahan was even more important than Holi. “On Holi, the focus is on merry-making but Holika Dahan is a puja. Many women, inlcuding me, are fasting today,” said Savitri Gupta of AE Block.

CB Park is under the jurisdiction of councillor Rajesh Chirimar, who attended the festival on March 9. “Some people say the burning of the Holika is harmful to the environment, others say it is beneficial. I’m not getting into the controversy. This is a compulsory ritual and that’s all there is to it,” he said. “Other groups have performed Holika Dahan in DA and DB blocks in my ward too.”

Some CB Block residents, who had never seen a Holika pyre before, had come out of curiosity. They said they did not mind having the pyre in their block.

“The previous block’s residents had some issues and we moved away but CB Park proved more spacious and had better car parking arrangement,” said Gupta of the Sansad. “MLA Sujit Bose and councillor Rajesh Chirimar helped us and we drew nearly five times the crowd as before. We are keen to continue this festival at this new venue from now on.”

Double whammy

Meanwhile AE (Part 2) burnt — not one but — two pyres this season. The first, on March 8, was Burir Ghor Porano for the Bengali community and the second was Holika Dahan the next day for non-Bengali communities.

Both drew a large number of residents. “It’s a good idea for the block to organise Holika Dahan centrally. Otherwise we would have to collect wood ourselves and look for empty plots to perform it. Burning one big pyre surely causes less pollution than burning many small ones,” said Priyanka Sharma, who had come with her family.

Tapas Sengupta, secretary of Samaj Kalyan Sangha, that organised the event, said he was aware of the pollution angle. “The PCB would probably want us to stop these rituals but we already do it on the minimum possible scale. Both the rituals are part of India’s tradition. Unless we celebrate them, the next generation will not know about them.”

saltlake@abpmail.com