People light Holi bonfires, pray for good year

AHMEDABAD: Be ready with a fistful of colours on Monday to celebrate Dhuleti, the second day of the Holi festival. On Sunday evening, citizens lit Holi bonfires to pray for a better year. A number of temples also organized special events. At the Jagannathji Temple, mahant Dilipdasji and devotees lit the bonfire. Many of the city areas organized eco-friendly celebrations, using twigs and cow-dung cakes instead of wood for bonfires. “There are different ver sions about the origin of the festival. Holi is connected with the legend of Lord Vishnu’s devotee Prahlad,” said Gauriprasad Shastri, a resident of Vejalpur. “He was put on trial by his aunt Holika and was miraculously saved. The second day is also known as Rang Panchami and is mentioned in scriptures, especially in the leela of Lord Krishna.”

Many schools and colleges celebrated the festival on Saturday itself with a riot of colours on their campuses. The festivities will be carried forward on Monday.People usually visit friends and relatives and wish them a happy Holi with colours and sweets.

Members of the Rajasthani community in Ahmedabad organized a special event on Sunday afternoon, featuring song and dance.Many people from Rajast han who work as domestic help in the city made the last-minute dash on Friday and Saturday to catch a bus home. For the BAPS sect, Monday will be marked by Phooldolotsav. The primary celebration will take place in Sarangpur, Botad, where Mahant Swami will participate. Thousands of devote es take part in the traditional celebration in which the spiritual head of the sect plays holi with devotees.Followers of Vaishnavism marked Sunday as Gaura Purnima Mahotsav, celebrating the appearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, at Harekrisha Temple in Bhadaj.