Kathmandu, 2 Mar: Holi, also known as Fagu Purnima, is being celebrated with colors and enthusiasm on Monday in Kathmandu Valley and other hilly districts. A special Holi program is currently taking place in Basantapur, Kathmandu. The festival, observed on the full moon day of Falgun, is being marked this year as well with great joy and excitement.
In Basantapur, both Nepalis and foreigners are equally enjoying the celebration. A large group of people, dressed in white T-shirts, have been covered in red, blue, green, yellow, and various other colors. The Fagu festival, which coincides with the arrival of spring, has been celebrated since ancient times as a symbol of harmony, friendship, and goodwill.
Until a few years ago, Holi in the Valley was often celebrated in a disorderly manner. However, due to the active role of the police in recent years, the festival has gradually become more civilized and organized. The practice of forcibly throwing colors and water balloons at people passing by on the streets against their will has almost stopped.
Even on the eve of the festival, there are no longer scenes of dirty water being splashed on the streets of the capital. In the past, especially young women were targeted with water-filled balloons from a week in advance, creating a psychologically uncomfortable environment that discouraged them from going outside. Such negative practices have significantly declined.
At Basantapur, participants make the surroundings colorful and lively. The ceremonial “Chir” (a decorated wooden pole) that was erected earlier is taken down following proper rituals and carried with music and celebration to Tundikhel, where it is burned. There is a belief that the flags attached to the Chir have medicinal value, so people scramble to take pieces of them. The ashes of the burned Chir are applied as tika, as it is believed to ward off misfortune.
The Holi celebration formally begins on Falgun Shukla Ashtami after the Chir is erected in front of the Gaddi Baithak at Basantapur, decorated with colorful flags and worshipped according to tradition.
Tonight, at Tundikhel, there is also a traditional ritual associated with a demon named “Gurumapa.” According to custom, ten pathi (a traditional unit of measurement) of cooked rice and the meat of one buffalo, brought directly from Itumbahal without being placed anywhere along the way, are offered to Gurumapa. The offering is then symbolically disposed of at a water spout called “Jadhu” located inside the military hospital premises.
Through these rituals and celebrations, Holi continues to reflect Nepal’s rich cultural heritage, blending festivity with deep-rooted traditions.
