Holi Festival in Varshana- Brijbasi matajis beating their Prabhus

[Guest guest]

Gunamani dd mataji wrote

<<<<<<< I once saw a film from Vrindavana where the women were beating up

the men with sticks. They also threw colours at each other. Vedic tradition

too

>

> y.s. Gunamani d.d.>>>>

 

Basu Gosh Prabhu wrote

<<<<<<That's the "holy" festival... observed with great enthusiasm...

especially famous at Varsana (Barsana) on "Falgun Purnima" (the full moon day

in the month of Falgun) that is also observed by us as "Gaur Purnima"...

since we're all in Mayapur on that day (many of us...) we've probably missed

the fun! :-)>>>>>>>

 

Holi is an ecstatic festival. The full Moon morning of Holi, the colorfully

turbaned Brijbasi gentlemen prepare themselves by singing loudly before Their

Lordships at Nandagaon. Emotions are high as the large band of chanting men

walk from Nandagaon to Varshana. Each brave brijbasi gentleman carries a

rhinoceros hide shield that has been passed down from father to son.

 

In the afternoon, the temple at Varshana is crowded with the Brijbasis

singing praises to Their Lordships as huge 10 kilo bags of brightly colored

powders are carried in and thrown about by ecstatic pilgrims. Kirtan is non

stop. Every one is fervently taking shelter of the holy name.

 

If one is planning to be in attendance, one should prepare to be almost

violently and thoroughly saturated with color and Krishna consciousness. To

protect eyes, ears, nose and mouth from taking in too much dye, I kept my

head and face completely covered. Thank Srimati Radharani, I wore a hat to

cover my hair since the dye goes right through one's sari and the bright pink

color takes months to wash out of light colored hair. I had a pink spot at

the bottom back of my head for about 3 months. If any one wants to

experience this event, I also recommend wearing some form of eye protection.

 

During the evening as the women thrash the men it appears almost like a

dance/melee. The ladies wear colorful saris with golden borders and hold

long, thick formidable bamboo canes. The men take a squatting position each

holding their shield over head hopping to keep balance. The ladies loudly

whack the men's shields with great force. When the men lose their balance

and are left vulnerable their turbans serve as a form of head protection.

Colorful powders waft through the air as men on upper floors load and reload

huge squirt guns with saffron colored water spraying the blinded crowd below.

 

 

After experiencing this sometimes painful, always exciting event, I noted the

therapeutic value of this annual Vedic tradition. The women thrash the men

and the men accept this sound beating. It had the appearance of group

therapy.

 

As Deena Bandhu Prabhu mentioned, these Brijbasi matajs are strong from

working hard taking care of so many family members and rolling roti everyday.

 

 

Over the next six months recalling this ecstatic Holi event, I joked about

how we should institute this VEDIC tradition within ISKCON. > I am

grateful to have had the experience.

 

What do you think, Basu Gosh Prabhu? >;}

 

Yours in Prabhupada seva, Kusha mata

[Guest guest]

Actually they don't beat their prabhus, but the prabhus of their sisters

from Nandagram. What happens is all the brahmans from Nandagram come with

their shields and all. Then only the brahamanis from Varshana who were

married in Varshana are allowed to play. Those who are born there can't

play. It wouldn't actually be proper for the ladies from Nandagram to beat

their own husbands, but you notice this interesting female bonding going on.

These ladies from Varshana know what rascals these guys have been all year

in Nandagram so on behalf of their sisters in Nandagram they really give it

to them.

 

The other thing is the festival doesn't take place on the Purnima but in

Varsana on the 9th day before and in Nandagram on the 10th day of the moon.

In Nandagram it's the reverse. All the brahmans come from Varshana and the

brahmanis married in Nandagram let them have it on behalf of their sisters

in Varshana. And they're really strong not only from rolling rotis but they

don't have any Maytags over there. They jump up in the air and really give

them a wallop. 3 to 5 girls on one guy! All their ankle bells and bangles

are gingling giving a nice sound to all the color!

 

Yes I think it would be interesting to see how we could work out this

tradition in Iskcon. We might solve a lot of problems this way and have a

lot of fun doing it. Everyone hates meetings.

 

In service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

Deena Bandhu dasa

[Guest guest]

>

>

> Yes I think it would be interesting to see how we could work out this

> tradition in Iskcon. We might solve a lot of problems this way and have a

> lot of fun doing it. Everyone hates meetings.

>

> In service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

> Deena Bandhu dasa

 

Yes, these rituals can be very theraputic, an authorised outlet for normally

suppressed energies if done in balance.

 

The Lakota have a traditional ritual , the Sundance, where the young men

ritualistically are pierced in oreder to feel the sacrifice the women make by

having their flesh ripped in the birthing process. One aspect during the

preparation stage used to be a couple of small male and female diorams would

be

hung on the Tree in the center of the Sundance grounds. Normally, the tribal

mores were of very chaste and shy relationships between men and women, but on

this yearly occasion, they all came forth and just indulged in the bawdiest of

earthy humor, getting it out of their systems in an authorised manner, then

back to shy and chaste for the rest of the year.

 

It seems to be a common element of earth based cultures.