Assam’s Hojai is in the grip of Holi festivity since the first day on Wednesday where people of all age groups celebrated the occasion with lots of enthusiasm to mark the advent of spring.
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Hindus celebrated ‘Holika Dhaan’ with chang dance on Wednesday at Bharat Field in Hojai.
Sunil Sastri, the main priest of Laxminaryan Temple performed the puja with vedic rituals.
Talking to Northeast Now, Sunil Sastri said, “The sacred festival of Holi is celebrated as a symbol of victory over evil.”
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“Today each Hindu family bring cow-dung cake, assemble it at one place then burn it and take the burnt cow-dung cakes to their respective home as a mark for their inner peace and harmony thereby take blessings of their elders ones and share love with younger ones,” Sastri added.
He also said, “Chang dance is the main attraction along with the smearing of colours in this festival. This traditional dance form is from Rajasthan, it also known as Dhamaal or Holi dance.”
In Hojai, since six decades, the Marwari and the Bihari communities taking every community together are celebrating this dance before ten days of Holi i.e from Maha-Shivratri onwards.
They form group singing riotously to the rhythmic beat of the chang instrument and roam around the main thoroughfares of the town in the evening hours.
On Thursday, that is the second and final day, people will enjoy the festivity smearing each other with colours and ‘abir’, the red vermilion powder thronging the various points to enjoy the festival of colours.