By IANS,
Patna : It was Holi in Bihar Thursday, a day after the rest of the country celebrated the spring festival of colour, fun and amity.
With a ritualistic dab of ‘gulal’ or with full on partying with splashes of colour, ‘pichkaris’, water balloons and special food, millions across the state celebrated the festival.
Priests and astrologers had deferred Holi celebrations here by a day due to astrological reasons. This was so last year as well when Bihar played Holi a day after the rest of the country.
“The gap between the Holika Dahan (when the fire is burnt the night before the festival) and Holi is due to astrological reasons. According to the ‘panchang’ (Hindu astrological calendar) of Mithila and Benares, water colours come out on the occasion of ‘Pratipada’, the day after full moon,” Nilesh Mishra, a Hindu priest, said.
It’s the day of harmony. And so it was Thursday as well when the festival of colour saw religious divides blurring as it does every year with Muslims and Hindus celebrating together in many places.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had organised a Holi gathering at his residence Wednesday.