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Milkmen celebrate Makhaniya Holi in Allahabad
by Virender
Pathak
Allahabad:
While Holi is popularly known to be a festival
of colours, it is celebrated as "Makhaniya Holi" in
reverence of Lord Krishna by many villagers with rose
petals, buttermilk and other milk products at some
places in Allahabad. In Allahabad's Fatehpur and Kaushambi
areas which comprise many villages, the milkmen worship
Lord Krishna as their family deity and thus celebrate
the festival using his favourite items-milk,butter,
curd and Chhach (butter milk). On Makhaniya Holi that
falls on Rangbhari Ekadashi, a few days ahead of the
main Holi festival, these milkmen prepare a mixture
of rose petals, butter, curd and buttermilk in drums
and celebrate. The first offering is made to Lord
Krishna's idol at the village temple and then it is
used to celebrate with each other by splashing, spraying
with water-pistons or throwing at each other. Krishna
is known for his fondness for milk, butter, curd and
buttermilk (or, Chhach) during childhood. Milkmen
believe playing Holi with Doodh, Dahi and Chhach (curd,
butter and butter milk respectively), the favourites
of Lord Krishna. They imagine that Krishna and his
consort are among them. Krishna would try several
antics for 'stealing' or 'snatching' it from the village
women or getting access to these items kept at any
place. "We play Holi by mixing petals of different
flowers in the butter and Chhach and offer it to Lord
Krishna after which we play with the same amongst
ourselves. It is so because we consider butter and
Chhach to be holy, as it was Bhagwan Krishna's favourite,"
said Ganesh, a Holi reveller of Allahabad. The celebrations
are done amid popular Holi songs. "Just like Lord
Krishna used to steal Makkhan and Chhach to eat, we
play Holi with these items believing that we are offering
all these to Him," said Ram Ratan, another reveller
of Holi, Allahabad. The celebrations are held in a
big way in the city's Kishanpur area, located near
River Yamuna.
-Mar ,
2008
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