In March this year, Holi was celebrated across Pakistan. In Sindh, the sizeable community of Hindus celebrated it with official backing. This year, the holiday was celebrated with an announcement by the Sindh government. This was a source of much joy to Sindh’s Hindu community, since they felt for the first time that their religion and culture was welcome in Pakistan - at least to the extent that the government is concerned.
I remember the words of one Hindu boy who asked me, “Why is there not even a single holiday on our religious events? Why must we have to work on the day of our tahwaars (religious events)?” One would imagine he is pleased to not have to spend this year’s Holi toiling away.
Indeed, Mr. Bilawal Bhutto, co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) celebrated Holi for the second time. This year it was with the people of Umerkot and Thar in general.
The author, with fourteen-year-old Tulsi on her motorcycle
A cheeky young boy threw coloured water at his teacher
Holi is not only a religious event but it is a day when the Hindus welcome the arrival of spring with myriad colours. In fact, as is widely known, they do this more precisely by throwing coloured powder and water at each other.
Hajri Lal, a local journalist in Hyderabad, tells me that Holi is the ideal occasion to make peace with someone who angered you - by throwing some colours at them!
As the Hindu community was celebrating Holi, among them were the deprived and ignored Meghwar community. They too were celebrating in the Sodho area near Kotri. The Friday Times did cover their celebration in photos. I am told that the renewed interest and welcoming approach to their religious festival brought them much joy.
The Meghwar community lives in fairly poor conditions at Sodho. The Sodho area is home to many communities, not just the Meghwar. In fact, Muslims also live there in sizeable numbers, living peacefully alongside their Hindu neighbours. And Muslim people celebrated Holi too! I cannot forget the cheeky young boy who in front of me threw coloured water at his teacher who was passing by. The teacher just smiled and said to me, “What can I do? Today is Holi, saeen!”
The Meghwar community is fairly marginalised in economic terms. The people earn low incomes and live hand to mouth. But from the way they celebrated Holi, everyone can say that love, joy and loud laughter do not need big properties but merely the will to celebrate. The Meghwar community was second to none in making merry this year.
The houses I saw were in fairly poor condition. Instead of gates or doors, the entrances to their houses are often covered with a mere curtain.
It was a day for children and they were truly bosses that day. Nobody could stop them if they chose to throw coloured water or powder. Some children were challenging each other to impromptu dancing competitions. Some girls watched these proceedings shyly.
Local Hindus always show great respect for the Imams
As we have already noted above, the Meghwar community face an acute lack of financial resources. Purchasing colours for Holi can turn into a hefty expense. Some older people tricked their children, giving them mere water in coloured bottles. The children treated even this as if it were an item of the greatest value - hugging to their chests the bottles they received. A young girl, Rekha, told me that poor parents must often use such tactics to pacify their children. They dare not refuse outright the demands of their children because it is, after all, Holi.
People were praying at Bhagat Bhagwan Darbar, which is oldest such temple in the region, dating back some 175 years. The Darbar reflected syncretic influences, especially from the Sikh religion. As journalist Harji Lal reminded me, early Sikhism was heavily connected with Hinduism.
We saw an old Shiv Ling in the Darbar. We also ended up seeing a Shiva temple that was located on the other side of the Indus river at Kotri.
Tulsi, a 14-year-old girl drove me on a motorcycle to the Shiva temple and we passed through a local market. At one point, a local boy looked at us and said in Sindhi “Aray chhokri thi chhokri khe wadhe wayen”, which implied that one girl is taking another around. I was fascinated by the way Tulsi breaks stereotypes in the Hindu community as well as in larger Pakistani society - and that too at such a young age.
The Shiva temple next to the river seems to have an ancient and fascinating history to it. I was told by some that it may be up to 2000 years old.
Young boys were preparing to participate in the Matki ceremony, started by Bhawan Krishan in in India. This ceremony is performed by giving colours to all people who standing below the matki (pot). When it breaks, it showers them with colour, Hajri Lal told me.
Finally, the young boys announced that everyone should come out of their houses to see the Matki ceremony. Boys were struggling to make a circle to reach the matki in order to break it but it failed many times. The boys seemed embarrassed since everyone was laughing at them - especially young girls. Muslim families also came to see the Matki ceremony. At the end boys chanted a slogan “Naara e Haider: Ya Ali!” because local Hindus always show great respect for the Imams. This is a living symbol of religious harmony in Pakistan.
When the matki broke, the colours of peace and love fell upon everyone, conquering the hearts of all those present.
