Dear Editor,
The presence of large numbers of Indo-Guyanese and other Indo-Caribbean Hindus in selected locations in America and the organising skills of community leaders have made it possible for Phagwah to be celebrated with the same traditions as brought to the West by their ancestors from Mother India to the Caribbean (Guyana, etc) and from there to America. The spirit of Holi has truly traversed a great distance. Phagwah or Holi is the most popular Hindu festival observed in New York City attracting the largest crowd of revellers with Guyanese in the thick of things – as organisers and celebrants. This weekend, NY Hindus celebrated Holi with a mela on Saturday evening at various mandirs, including AryaSamaj, Tulsi, Trimurthi, Lakshmi, etc. Parades in Queens, the Bronx and Jersey City were scheduled for Sunday. Hindus in Florida will also celebrate the festival in the Orlando area. It is because large numbers of Hindus are settled in these areas that Phagwah and other popular Indo-Caribbean festivals are celebrated there.
The organisers of Holi celebrations across the USA need to be applauded for their hard work in making the Phagwah festivities possible. They put a lot of time and effort and their personal money to ensure the success of the planned events. They have helped to institutionalise traditional Indo-Caribbean customs and traditions in this new land. It is through their vision that Indo-Caribbeans are able to celebrate this and other festivals just like they did or do back in Guyana.
For Phagwah, unlike in the Caribbean, it is not possible to go house to house to celebrate Phagwah. It is not a public holiday. Instead, people come together in one central location (as in Florida or Richmond Hill or Bronx, or Jersey City) to observe the festival. Hence the focus on a parade and a mela in a public park. The parade has always been observed on the Sunday (Phagwah falls on Sunday this year) after its official observance and is usually a time of extreme excitement and revelry (singing, dancing, etc.).
These central celebrations bring together tens of thousands to observe the colourful festival with people splashing colours on each other. It fosters unity among various groups of people promoting a common feeling of togetherness. As in Guyana or Trinidad, Hindus, Muslims and Christians all partake in the celebrations in a true show of strength of the Indo-Caribbean community in the city. There are also many non-Indians at the celebrations which help to promote harmonious ethnic relations. It also gives non-Indians an opportunity to understand one aspect of Indian culture.
For the last 19 years, Holi has been celebrated in grand style with the annual parade which takes on a carnival-like atmosphere. The parade was launched in 1990, thanks to the work of Kali, PanditRamlall, PanditSatish, etc) and it has now become institutionalised as part of the celebration of the Phagwah festival attracting politicians and community leaders. Thus, the initiators of the Liberty Avenue parade deserve the highest praises for conceiving the parade, which showcases the community’s numbers and gives political recognition to the community. An aura of Holi is in the air.
In addition to the parade, there are also Phagwah festivities at various clubs, temples, mandirs, and catering halls. There are glittering cultural variety shows, pageants with modelling of latest Indian designs and other festivities during the weekends preceding and following the official observance of the festival. Temple members have been engaging in chowtal singing over the last several Sundays. Some temples held celebrations to coincide with the holiday on Wednesday evening. The melas and the parades help to advance a sense of togetherness that enhances pride and admiration for the rich cultural heritage that was handed down by the indentured servants from India.
On Sunday, the celebration culminated with the parade. Delicacies (bara, gulgula, phulourie, bigany, mango or tamarind chutney, potato ball, prasad, channa, ghoja, mahambhoog, kheer or sweet rice, among others) and beverages were served.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
