Holi Or Dol Utsav In Old Kolkata

Holi or Dol Utsav is a festival of Kolkata since the time of Job Charnock. It was the beginning of British colonialism. A society called neo "Babu samaj" was emerging. At that time, poet Iswar Gupta wrote a poem "ক্রমেতে হোলির খেলা, নবীনা নাগরী মেলা, ছুটে মুটে যায় এক ঠাই। যার ইচ্ছা হয় যারে, আবির কুমকুম মারে, পিচকারি কেহ দেয় কায়।"

Historians have written, at that time, all the persons and houses becomes red by the abir and red colour. Irrespective of castes and creeds, all the persons used to observe this Dol utsav with fun and frolic. They have energy, enthusiasm to participate in this festival by dint of their emotions and sincerity. 

        Balthazar Solviens has wrote in his 'Le Hindous' book about this Dol Utsav in Kolkata - "alongwith Hindus, Christians and Muslims too used to participate in this festival. The exiled Nawab of Lucknow Nawab Wajed Ali Shah with his parishad, used to participate in this Holi and penned a new song.

  On this day of Dol Utsav, 'Bai Naach' was a compulsory item of rich men houses. Gahar Jaan, Aghor Chakraborty, Ahmed Khan and many more singers used to perform classical songs on occasion of Dol Yatra at Pathuriaghata Rajbari.

        Old Calcutta too witnessed nuisance of the present day streets and localities during Dol Utsav. A historian wrote this picture in Bengali - "মিছিল ওয়ালারা সু শ্রাব্য ও অশ্রাব্য গীতিতে পাড়া মাতাইয়া এবং নরনারী যাহাকে সম্মুখে পাইত তাহাকে আবির ও পিচকারি তে ব্যতিব্যস্ত করিয়া চলিয়া যাইত। এমন অশ্রাব্য গান ও কুৎসিত সং প্রকাশ্যে বাহির করিতেন যে এখনকার লোকে তাহা কল্পনাও করি তে পারে না। কর্তারা কিন্তু তাহা লইয়া আমোদ করিতেন। গৃহিণী ও বালক বালিকাদের সহিত তাহা দর্শন ও শ্রবণ করিতেন।"

            In spite of this nuisance, almost all the houses used to observe rituals and special puja of Radha Krishna on this occasion and distribute sweets made in the family. A few old families of Kolkata still maintain this custom of observing Dol Utsav.

            দেউল (temple), দোল (Dol), দুর্গোৎসব (Durga Puja) were the main dependence of people of Kolkata by which they used to participate in puja and rituals as well as in festivals. In old days, Dol utsav was observed in Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Barobazar area of Kolkata. On the eve of Dol, "Chanchor" was obseeved. It was a compulsory item of Dol Utsav. They used to accumulate dry leaves in the Bagan bari. And used to lit the leaves.

          The East India Company used to allow 5 days holiday for Dol Utsav or Holi. The paints were imported from Germany. There were several colours, but the common people used to prefer red paint. The effluent families used "pichkari" (the instrument to spray paint) made of "pittal" and the common people used "pichkari" made of tin and bamboo. But, one thing was common - they all used to enjoy the festival very much.

      "Dol" or "Dol yatra" means the "jhula" of Krisha and Radha. The admirers or Gopinis used to participate in this play of Dol or Hori, they used to swing the 'jhula' of Radha Krishna. The rich families of Kolkata used to give "abir" on the idols of Krishna and Radha in their house and perform puja of Krishna and Radha. It was their 'status symbol' to show off the grandeur of Dol Utsav just like Durga Puja in their house. 

              Special type of "moth" (মঠ) used to made in their houses in various shapes like flower, birds etc. It was a solid triangle made by sugar in various colours. Moreover, white and pink "batasa" (বাতাসা), and "foot korai" (ফুট কড়াই) they used to offer in pujas. The "Dhuli"s of "Dom" community were entrusted by the then British administration to announce publicly by playing dhol (ঢোল) that all the citizens are allowed to play Dol or Holi but maintaining peace and harmony amongst different castes and creed.

                  Here is some names of rich and effluent families of Kolkata,  in their houses they used to observe Dol Utsav with pomp and grandeur. They were Prince Dwarkanath Tagore, Debendranath Tagore, Prasanna Kumar Thakur, Rajendralal Mitra, Digambar Mitra, Balaram Basu, Pashupati Basu, Babu Pitram Das, Babu Boishnob Charan Sheth, Radhakanta Deb Bahadur, Babu Ashutosh Deb, Babu Nabin Chandra Basu, Bhuban Neogy of Bagbazar, editor of Amrita Bazar Patrika Shishir Kumar Ghosh and others. The Britishers were often invited in this festival. Various foods and drinks used to serve with baai-naach and songs in this festival. The main aim to invite Englishman in this festival was to boost the image of themselves by intimacy with British in administration. Though Debendra Nath Tagore was Brahmo, Dol Utsab became popular in Jorasanko Thakur Bari. Later, Gurudeb Rabindranath Tagore inspired with this festival of abir kumkum - initiated Basant Utsav on the day of Holi/Dol at Shantiniketan, Bolpur. Affluent class of Kolkata used to exchange gifts to the houses of their dear persons within decorated foreign boxes and petis in which, paints, abir, kumkum, pichkari, essence took places. Procession of 'Song' was a common scene of old Kolkata. Aristocrat families of the city used to patronise those 'Song'. It was a custom to paint the pedestrians on this day with abir. The song of the 'Song' was praise of Lord Krishna. They often used slang words to entertain listeners among pedestrians. Bowbazar to Bagbazar - 'Nagar Sankirtan' (নগর সংকীর্তন) was a common feature of Dol Utsab. Some groups used to sing a song of Rupchand Pokkhi (রূপচাঁদ পক্ষী) - "হোরি খেলিছে শ্রীহরি, সহ রাধাপ্যারী / কুমকুম ধূম, শ্যাম অঙ্গভরি / পুষ্পমালা হিন্দোল সাজায়ে ব্রজনারী / রাই শ্যাম অনুপম দোলে তদুপরি"। Beside this, 'kathokatha' (কথকথা) of Ram Basu and Haru Thakur were items of them to sing on this day. 

course of time has changed the feature and flavour of Dol Yatra in Kolkata. But the ancient tradition is still there to some extent. Approximately 500 years ago Chaitanya Deb was born at Nabadwip in Nadia district on this auspicious day of Dol Utsab. Since then, not only the inhabitants of Nadia district, but all over Bengal including Kolkata use to observe this day with certain devotion and dedication.