Lko gears up for “Phoolon aur gulal wali” Chowk ki Holi

LUCKNOW: Though not as famous as the Holi of Vrindavan and Mathura, Old Lucknow’s ‘Chowk ki Holi’ is also spectacular, carrying a history of over six decades. Here, the celebration is marked by Phoolon ki Holi’ and a Holi barat (procession) . Like every year, this year too a grand procession is scheduled with full ‘band-baja’ in which the crowd will be seen dancing and applying gulal to each other cutting across religious lines which makes it unique .

Each year, as the procession progresses through the roads of the Old City, it is showered with rose petals and flowers by the people. There are also many attractions such as horses, elephants and even camels!

“This time around 500 kgs of flowers and 200 kgs of gulal will be used,” said Govind Sharma, chairman of the Holikotsav Samiti, adding that nearly 12 camels and 20 chariots will take part in the procession.

Started by five stalwarts on a small scale, the festival is becoming grander every year. The participation of both Hindus and Muslims in the celebration is also a testimony to the composite culture of the city of nawabs.

“It was started by five people, including prominent Hindi writer Amritlal Nagar, politician Lalji Tandon, Kashinath Bajpai, Anand Malhotra and VK Tandon,” said Anurag Mishra, general secretary of Chowk Holikotsav Samiti. “Earlier, Holi was played in the Old City using mud and trash. People would pull down others into sewage. That’s when it was decided to make the celebration clean and beautiful,” he added.

‘Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb’

The procession starts at around 10 am from Koneshwar Mahadev Temple and passes multiple Muslim-dominated areas where too people take part in the festival with equal fervour. The areas through which it passes include Khun Khun Ji Road, Chowk Crossing, Kamla Nehru Marg, Victoria Street and Mayfair Tiraha before culminating at Akbari Gate, Chowk Sarafa Road and Munnilal Dharamshala. “Muslims welcome the procession by applying atar ( perfume) showing brotherhood,” said Mishra.

According to Vinod Maheshwari, chairman of Lucknow Mahanagar Sarafa Association, the entire festival holds great significance for the businesses in Chowk as it is celebrated with the contribution of over 2000 chikan and jewellery shops which are open for the entire year but shut for the three-day festivity starting from Holika Dahan.

Tradition with a modern twist

The organisers say Chowk’s Holi is still the biggest and oldest in the city. Both old and young join in equal numbers, the reason being its amalgamation with modern times. “Earlier we used to only have Holi phaag (songs) but now we have introduced a DJ on the demands of youngsters,” said Mishra, adding that this year six groups of phaag singers will be singing traditional Holi songs at intervals.