Caribbean Holi Bites
By Aashna Kanhai
It felt like finding a lost love, when I spent my first day in New Delhi. So, this is the land of my ancestors, I thought. Spring was about to start and Holi was around the corner. Would Holi be like in my country? In Suriname we say ‘Phagwa’ when referring to the Holi festival and we know it as a national holiday that succeeds the night of the burning of Holika, in some neighborhoods. Caribbean style gujia and curry dishes with roti are being relished by the multi ethnic community with roots in Africa, India, Indonesia, China, Lebanon and Indigenous tribes.
After an overwhelming experience with some new friends at an IPL cricket match in Delhi, I was sure to expect my first Holi in India to be like home and a few weeks after, I searched for Holika replicas in Delhi. In fourth grade we would learn about Prahlad and his aunt Holika and understand the victory of good over evil. In Suriname applying Abir (coloured powder) starts after Holika, which usually is made from dry branches, has burnt to ashes. Delhi was new to me and keeping the diplomatic decorum I refrained from entering localities as a stranger, so my search soon ended.
The actual day of Holi was an extravagant experience of ‘Athithi devo Bhava’ when I upon invitation entered the Farmhouse complex of my Indian host. The striking feature was the ‘Amitabh Bachan style Bhaangwalla’, just like in Bollywood movies we watched in Suriname, where Bhaang is not part of the tradition, yet good rum is its substitute.
The DJ played the ‘Kolaveri song’ in different remixes, so I guessed that ‘chautaal’ would follow soon. Chautaal is part of the folklore of Uttar Pradesh and traditionally sung in Bhojpuri language. So far, Sarnami Hindi, has evolved in Suriname since the arrival of British Indian indentured laborers who were mainly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and chautaal in Sarnami Hindi is thus an exclusive tradition of Phagwa. In a group of 4 or more on each side, the singers recite chaupai’s (quatrain verse) , while playing the small cymbals and the dholak (percussion). Hilarious sarcastic self invented chaupai keep the happy vibes floating, while the group moves from one house to another spending around half an hour at each house to perform chautaal. Practice starts a few weeks before, while chautaal is never heard after Phagwa day. I kept guessing, while I enjoyed the Dal Makhni and Naan from the buffet, overseeing the crowd in bright colours, feeling like an actress on the ‘Special Holi’ film set. I stood there remembering the Independence Square of my country, filled with dancing people wishing each other ‘Shubh Holi’ and applying colored powder, while musical bands performed and no one could be recognized due to the colours.
I celebrated Holi eight times in Delhi and fondly remember the unique experiences, like finding Holika in Delhi, witnessing students from Bihar perform chautaal, getting a splash of colour while picking up groceries one day before Holi and being at home for holi during the lockdown.
After a long tenure as Ambassador in India, this will be my first Holi at home. Last Saturday, in the run-up to Phagwa, I was a special guest of the Indian Embassy for ‘A confluence of colors’, a cultural event, with performances by Surinamese dancers. It was heartwarming to see the appreciation for our multi ethnic phagwa and Ambassador Shankar Balachandran and his team made us proud of our common heritage, as Holi brings happiness and cheerful moods, here in the Caribbean and there in India.
The evolution of Holi, inspired me to share some bites and on this note, I wish you a Shubh Holi!
(The author is a former ambassador of Suriname to India. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited.)