Covid-19 scare: Residents to celebrate Holi at home
As the novel coronavirus scare in the city leads to cancellation of Holi parties in condominiums, families are looking for alternatives to celebrate the festival. City residents are looking at quiet celebrations at home and going back to traditional festivities.
Turning the celebrations at home into a healthy and eco-friendly affair was an idea that Vaishali Sudan Sharma, a resident of DLF Phase 2, toyed with this year. She took her 6-year-old son with her to a flower market to get the ingredients for making organic colours at home.
“We spent a day with the kids making organic colours from flowers. They helped grind the flowers to create the colours and they loved the entire process. This Holi will be all about going back to our roots and celebrating the festival the way our grandparents did,” said the founder of The Champa Tree. She added that home-cooked gujias will be served at her home this year. Her son, as well as his cousins, will come together to make rangolis in the driveway.
Multiple residencies and condominiums in the city have sent out circulars announcing the cancellation of Holi parties in the wake of the Coronavirus. In the absence of elaborate Holi parties, residents have scaled down the celebration of the festival that celebrates the arrival of spring.
“We cancelled both, the Holika Dahan and the party. The residents’ welfare association (RWA) had to bear losses, but it could not be helped. My children are naturally saddened, but they are aware of the situation. In my building, only six or seven children will come together and play Holi. They have been strictly told that they will not play beyond one hour,” Shalini Gupta, a resident of La Lagune, said. The RWA had made arrangements for a rain dance and DJ, but had to cancel both, she added.
Reetu Sirohi, a resident of Emaar Palm Drive, Sector 66, said that her children themselves decided not to play with colours this year.
“My children said that instead of playing with colours they will watch a movie or play video games. They got to know of the situation from their school and decided themselves that they would not play with colour this year,” said Sirohi.
For families that were never much into the festivities, the day will be celebrated with quality time at home.
“My family never really played with colour at Holi, but this year because of Coronavirus cancelled all plans for social gatherings. Children will be at home, we will just celebrate with food and music. That is all,” said Smiti Chabra, a resident of DLF Phase 2.