Ranga Barase : Colours of Diversity..

My neighbor’s brother-in-law is a German gentleman. Couple of weeks back, during Holi celebration, he was down in the greens to play with everyone else in the society. In the gathering we had people from diverse religions, languages, culture and a few more, from different nationalities.

?We were having a wonderful time. Everyone danced to some popular Holi-specific Bollywood numbers that was blaring from the loudspeakers arranged by the housing society. I noticed that Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Rang Barse’ was particularly sought after and was repeated after every 2-3 songs, and every time it came up, people jumped and screamed with ecstasy and the energy of the crowd quadrupled.

?Lunch was arranged from outside, but each family decided to present homemade sweets. To our amazement, sweet delicacies from across the length and breadth of the country made way to the neatly lined tables covered in white linen. The day was bright and breezy as we made rounds of those tables to learn the names of each dish and savor them. The spread was so massive that most of us did not even make it to the lunch counter!

?By late afternoon the wrath of the sun had mellowed down and instead of heading home, we decided to sprawl on the green wet grass and play a kind of musical game. So, antakshari happened. In the process, we discovered that some of the participants were real good singers. And so, it started – Bollywood songs, Kawali, Sufi songs, Bhajans, Bihu, Lavani, and even German folk song called Volksmusik, which means ‘the people’s song’.

Kids were made comfortable in one corner and senior citizens were offered water, a chair – just in case their knee hurts, a shade, and fresh fruits. We were a crowd of around 80 people, and no one asked anyone’s cast, creed, religion, or background. Neither did we want to know anyone’s marital status, sexual orientation, or bank balance. Politics was not discussed nor was the Sensex.

?By sunset, when some of the senior citizens expressed their desire to go home, we realized that it was pretty late. Yet, none of us wanted to leave that space. It was as if that patch of green was consecrated by some higher power and our soul danced in unison. Smeared in colors of all kinds, each one of us were tired to the bones, yet fresh with some renewed sense of togetherness and solidarity.

?Later at night, when I opened my laptop and wore my professional hat, I realized that we had spent one whole day stripped of all our identifications – social status, financial affluence, religious identity, gender, caste, color, and nationality. I felt light and breezy, floating in some unknown space. We always talk of an ideal world, and that Friday, I experienced it. I saw a whole diverse crowd merge as one and experienced how beautiful it is. Suddenly, all the nuisances of everyday life and its struggle reduced to the size of a grain, and I saw life as it is and as it should be – not consumed in the frills of false identification but seek the beauty in its diversity.

I feel blessed that I was showered with a glimpse of that beauty and pray that each one of us be blessed with such an insight at least once in a lifetime!

?I know it’s a little late, but wishing everyone the colors of life can never be dated. Happy Holi!!

?The views expressed in the blog is purely mine and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever with which I have been, am now or will be affiliated.?