The Holi Festival
Anila Sunder's next contribution to us in 1985 was 'Sindhyat Jee Surhaan'.
This time it was a sequence of dances depicting the seven main Sindhi
festivals:
Thadri - which is celebrated to signify the birth of Yoga - Maya, the sister of Lord Krishna.On this day, the merry - makers play card games. Life is also a game where success and failure should be taken in one's own stride.
Teejri - which is celebrated in the monsoons, when the woman fasts for her beloved and passes her day by playing indoor games and singing folk songs;
Diwali - which is celebrated all over India. The traditions and forms of expressions vary from region to region, but the significance is the same:the victory of good over evil. The tradition of the Sindhis is that the businessman who is separated from his family in persuit of his trade invariably returns home for Diwali;
Utraan - when the people fly kites in the sky. This outdoor sport is compared to life where one needs to know the art of pulling and letting loose just as in kite flying;
Basant Panchmi - signifies the advent of the the spring. Here, Anila depicts the immortal love of Kamdev and Rati in a classical dance form;
Holi - when people of all ages get together to throw Gulal (pink colour powder) which denotes happiness;
Cheti Chand - which is the Sindhi New Year day, when they worship the God of Waters. Water has a special significance for Sindhis because centuries ago Sindhi merchants use to traverse through the waters by ships carrying their cargo to far - off lands. Thus, while the menfolk faced the hazards of the seas, their wives would worship water and pray for their husbands' safe return.
Indian culture is like a bouquet of flowers, each flower having it's own hue and fragrance. Likewise, each Indian festival has something unique to offer.
