The Festival of Colours, Holi, was celebrated in the city on Monday amidssollowing restrictions of COVID-19 pandemic. Most people preferred to stay indoors and celebrated the festival with family members. For the first time, there were no religious processions and ‘Chal Samaroh’ on Holi. Roads were almost deserted and even during evening hours, people communicated on phones instead of visiting homes. Though public gatherings were not allowed, people celebrated the festival with fanfare with family members.

 

Many people marked the festival virtually. As mass gatherings and group celebrations were completely banned, people said that festivity of Holi has not faded. ‘Holika Dahan’ was held in a few areas on Sunday evening where limited number of people were allowed to gather. People in a few colonies burnt Holika to fulfill rituals but there was limited gathering. Hindu Utsav Samiti cancelled its programmes after the district administration denied public celebration. For the first time, Holi was celebrated individually at home. Talking to ‘The Hitavada’, Richa Chandi, a college student said, “We could not move to our homes because of restrictions, so we celebrated in the hostel.

 

It was just a formality to mark the festival.” The latest trend that was witnessed among people this year was that most people preferred to mark the festivals on video calls. This year many people celebrated the festival virtually with their near and dear ones. Amid the pandemic, people were not allowed to gather or to move other place so they decided to go digital. School and college students too wished their friends via video calls. Every year students celebrate the colourful festival a day before in college and school campus.