As the festival of Holi is just around the corner, people across the country have started to gear up for the preparations. Although Holi is celebrated with the similar level of excitement and joy, there are different versions of the festival which differs from one state to another. Talking about Basant Utsav, it’s the Bengali version of Holi that is observed at Shantiniketan and is an integral part of the Bengali culture.
The Basant Utsav is celebrated on the day of Dol Purnima (full moon day of Falgun). This year, the celebrations will go on from 28th February to 2nd March i.e. for three days. The festival was introduced by Rabindranath Tagore, who was also the founder of the Vishwabharati University. It’s an 87-year-old tradition that is followed every year with an aim to welcome the Spring wholeheartedly.
It will be initiated by a musical procession in the morning which will be followed by Tagore music, rhymes, and dance performances by students of different departments of the Vishwabharati University. Later, all the students and teachers apply abeer (powder color) on each other’s face and rejoice.
This celebration is not just for students and teachers but many tourists from across the country as well as from foreign countries visit West Bengal to witness the colorful fervor. People are dressed in bright colors of yellow and orange and girls even adorn themselves with flowers.
There are various performances, group dance, musical renditions, and poetic rhymes sung by the talented students. It’s a great platform to witness the vibrant space filled with people making merry and hoping for the arrival of a delightful time ahead.
Although usually there is no dress code for the procession this time the Vishwabharti authorities have made it a compulsion to wear saris for females and Dhoti for males. Since youngsters had started attending the celebrations in casual attire, the officials don’t want the festival to lose its essence and hence it has been decided that people not following the dress code would not be allowed to participate in the procession.
