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Holi: Jhabua tribals celebrate Bhagoriya

          Jhabua/Varanasi: The festival of colours, Holi, is near. And hundreds of young tribals are thronging Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh to find their soul mates. In this festival, called "Bhagoriya Holi", tribals of Jhabua District participate in a `Swayamvara' or a mass marriage ceremony usually held on market days. During this festival, young people choose their life partners. Locals say the ceremony is a part of their tradition. "This is an age-old tradition, and following this tradition, tribals come here to sing, dance and make merry. It is a part of tribal culture," said Palati Bhuriya, a local. The state administration, too, has come forward to make sure that the celebrations pass off peacefully. "We are trying to make sure that everything passes of peacefully. We have deployed police forces and are making sure that no weapons come into the area, and that everybody is safe. We have also organised a fair on the occasion," said Raj Kumar Pathak, the Collector of Jhabua. Meanwhile, locals in Varanasi are drinking a special cold drink mixed with Cannabis. People from all over the city converge at government-approved outlets to buy the drug ahead of the festival. Locals say they take cannabis to get intoxicated, but as an offering to Lord Shiva. "We do not consume this as an intoxicant, but as an offering to Lord Shiva. We have lots of cold drinks with it and enjoy the festival," said Rajendra Trivedi, a local. Traditionally, the festival is known to have its roots in the celebration of the spring. In ancient time, royalty took the advice of traditional medicine men while extracting juice from seasonal fruits, flowers, roots, leaves and seeds to make colours the vibrant assorted with the Holi festival.
- March 3, 2007

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