Holi celebrated with blast of colours across Sindh

It’s the festival of good over evil. It’s the festival of welcoming spring. It’s the festival of triumph. It’s a festival for everyone. It’s the festival of colours. It’s Holi – Happy Holi! One of the major Hindu festivals, Holi, has been celebrated across Sindh with religious and cultural zeal.

“For me, it’s more of a cultural festival than a religious one,” commented Mukesh Meghwar, an activist and educationist from Badin. “We (Hindus) celebrate it with our own community and friends (Muslims). We share the colours – the colours of life.”

He said that most of his friends in Umerkot have been celebrating the festival for the last three days. “They have tried to break the silence. They have tried to bring back peace in the area. They have tried to discourage fear,” he added.

“On this special occasion, we celebrate colours because they are universal, and they have their own meanings, which we should all understand,” Meghwar said.

Some of the biggest Holi events took place in Mithi and Umerkot – the two major cities where Hindus are in majority. Muslims also joined the celebrations in these cities, as well as in Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Karachi.

Prof KS Nagpal, a senior educationist and writer, told that he celebrated Holi in Kandhkot. “Colours are everywhere. This is a festival of happiness and tells the story of triumph over tyranny.”

Most people on this occasion wear their old clothes, and according to Prof Nagpal, this is a festival for the poor. “Special dishes are prepared for this festival. We throw colours on each other to spread joy and mark the beginning of a new journey in life.”

“Holi gives you the message of harmony. It also gives you hope. It’s a festival of happiness that everyone wants to enjoy,” Prof Nagpal explained. He added that for the people of Sindh, Holi will be truly celebrated when water is restored to the Indus River.

In Karachi, Holi was celebrated in different parts of the city, especially in the old city areas, including Narainpura, Lyari, Ranchore Line, Saddar, Clifton, and other localities.

Sham Lal Maheshwari, the caretaker of the Ganish Mandir in Mauripur, said that his community celebrated the day on Thursday. “The celebrations started in the morning and continued until late in the evening,” he said.

He added that hundreds of community members gathered in the area to participate in the festival. “Special prayers were offered for peace and prosperity in our country,” he concluded.

Mukhi Sahil, a resident of Umerkot, said that it was the first time the festival truly felt alive. “Umerkot was different this year. The markets remained closed. Everyone participated – Hindus and Muslims.”

He added that the dhandhya made the festival even more colorful. “Dhandya dance was organised at various spots.” He said that thousands of people from the city and nearby areas attended the late evening programmes of Holi.

Owing to Ramazan, most of the programmes were arranged after Iftar.