Varanasi, Mar 11 (PTI) Devotees and Naga Sadhus celebrated the unique tradition of playing Holi with funeral ashes amid burning pyres at the Manikarnika Ghat here on Tuesday.
Gulshan Kapoor, the organiser of the 'Chita Bhasma Holi' or 'Masan Holi' ritual at the Mahashamshan (cremation ground), said Naga Sadhus danced with tridents and swords. One of them, wearing a garland of human skulls, performed a fierce 'Tandava' dance. Devotees and foreign tourists participated in the event, getting covered in ash and colours, he added.
Kapoor said the ritual was observed for about an hour from noon, following a grand 'aarti' of Baba Mahashamshan Nath.
Preparations for the festival begin six months in advance, with two to three sacks of ash collected daily from the cremation ground. However, this year, the ritual faced opposition from religious scholars.
Kashi Vidvat Parishad, along with other organisations, termed it against the scriptures.
Parishad's general secretary Ramnarayan Dwivedi said there is no scriptural evidence supporting householders playing Holi at a cremation ground.
"People are being misled into following this practice, which is against our traditions," he said.
Kapoor said keeping in mind safety concerns, the Mahashamshan Nath Temple Committee had requested women not to attend due to the large crowd and potential chaos.
The celebration is rooted in the belief that on 'Rangbhari Ekadashi', Lord Shiva brings Goddess Parvati to Kashi after their celestial wedding.
While deities, celestial beings and humans celebrate Holi, Lord Shiva's divine companions — ghosts, spirits and other mystical beings — are left out, he said. To include them, Lord Shiva plays Holi with pyre ashes at the Mahashamshan the following day.
Thousands of people from across the world visit Kashi to witness and participate in this rare and spiritual Holi, which offers an intense encounter with life's ultimate truth, he said.
