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‘Huranga’ marks end of Holi in Braj region
The 40-day Holi festival in Braj region ended with 'Huranga' at Dauji temple in Mathura, where women tore clothes off men and used them as whips.
The 40-day-long festival of Holi in Braj region concluded with ‘Huranga’ at Dauji temple in Baldev town of Mathura on Tuesday.
In this unique Holi, the women revellers (known as Huriyarin) tore clothes off men (known as Gop) and turned cloth pieces into whips to smack them, and all through this, colours were literally poured in on devotees.
For rest of India, Holi was a single day affair on Monday but for Braj area with Mathura as its epicenter, it is a 40-day festival beginning from Basant Panchami (this year on February14) when a ritual takes place at temples in Mathura and Vrindavan to mark the beginning of festival of colours.
It is initially played with dry colours, but water is added after Rangbharni Ekadashi. Lathamaar Holi at Barsana and Nandgaon are the centre of attraction of this festival.
A day after Holi on Monday, a large crowd gathered at Dauji Temple in Baldev town of Mathura to witness Huranga, an age-old tradition.
The Gop (men) walked with flags in the centre and Huriyarin (women) tore their clothes off and used them as whips to smack the men, even as colours continued to rain.
The temple is more associated with Baldev, the elder brother of Krishna, after whom the town is named.
‘This is exceptional Holi where ‘Balram’ (elder brother of Krishna) plays Holi with Radha (beloved of Lord Krishna) and the floor of temple is turned into a huge pond filled with colours prepared with ‘tesu’ (yellow flower),” said Mohan Swaroop Bhatia, veteran of Braj literature and Padam Shri awardee.
