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Hammer Holi of Allahabad
by Virender
Pathak
Allahabad:
Though Holi is popularly celebrated with colours
and water, the festival is welcomed by people in Allahabad
with a traditional hammer procession. The hammer is
adorned as a 'groom' and all the traditions and rituals
are performed in the same manner as performed in any
Hindu marriage when the bridegroom and his retinue
are given utmost VVIP treatment. This procession commenced
here on Friday with the breaking of a Kumda (pumpkin)
that is filled with colours which is splashed over
the revellers. Holi revellers alongwith many reputed
persons of the city here took out a Baraat (similar
to a bridegroom's retinue) procession and a huge hammer
atop a van to signal the onset of Holi Dhamaal (revelry).
This time the revelers included the State's Education
Minister, Rakesh Dhar Tripathi and Mayor of Allahabad,
Jitendra Singh Nath who participated with utmost spirit
in this hammer procession. Jitendra Singh applied
the Tilak (mark of vermillion) on the hammer, the
ritual to ward off odd or evil designs, popularly
known as "Nazar Utarna" in Hindi heartland and all
over India. The local belief is that God created this
universe using a hammer as such to display its important
relevance a procession is taken out in Allahabad on
the occasion of the Holi. "The procession of hammer
is being taken out in Allahabad on Holi for its mythological
relevance. The hammer is a tool with which this universe
and the nature has been created, so it should have
its significance in some way, so for that reason,
the tradition of carrying out this hammer in a mass
procession has been started," said Jitendra Singh
Nath, the Mayor of Allahabad. "The procession of hammer
is taken out on the occasion of Holi in Allahabad
for years with full gaiety and decoration. The procession
has started from Keswani Vidyapeeth and this will
mark the onset of Holi," said Abhay Avasthi, one of
the organisers of Hammer procession.
-Mar 22,
2008
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