“Godbole family-Holi celebration.
Hindustan Times- march 2007”
Gun-shaped pichkaris thandai
and puranpoli – that’s how three generations of the Godbole family
willusher in Holi this year .
Reminiscing about Holi
celebrationsin his youth ,the senior-most member of the family ,Neelkanth
Godbole (80) said :”We used to move out in groups and collect dry waste
from nearby localities and burn them on the Holi night.This used to
clean up the area and avoid unnecessary cutting of trees.”
With the manner of
celebration Holi changing with the times , some in the family feels the
festival has now become more violent in nature.”People walking on the
road are attacked by water- filled ballons. It becomes really difficult
to walk on the road a week before the festival,” says Mrunali
Godbole(39),interior designer.
But the youngest in
the family seem to be more interested in soaking up the festive mood,
safety measures thrown to the wind. “We play in mud and apply colours
and oil paints on each others. A ballon war goes on during Holi between
two groups in our building which the best part of the festival.”says
Meera Godbole.(11). Added Vedant Godbole (8),animately :”Our group has
started playing with water and balloons since February 15.
In today’s tech-age
Holi has gone quite hi-tech and stylish. Plans are made fortnight ahead.
“nowadays you get hi-tech Chinese pichkaris and eco-friendly colours
,”says Rajendra Godbole(42). But the whole family is unanimous when it
comes to their favourite Holi cuisine- grand mother’s special thandai
and puranpoli.
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