Doljatra Festival

Assam, the land of red river and blue hills celebrate Doljatra, the festival of colour with much pomp and gaiety to mark the advent of spring. It falls in March when tender shoots are seen in the trees, season flowers start blooming brightly and the rivers keep waiting for rainwaters to regain the prime. The people in large number, in this land of festival, find it an occasion to soak in the joy sprinkling the colourful powders to each others with devotional songs in their lips. Chirping of birds and fragrance of season flowers transform the entire state into a dreamscape when the people celebrate the festival to greet the spring season. The focus falls on Barpeta district where the celebration takes place for a week. Colour and happiness are allowed to mingle. The great saint Sankardev was believed to have introduced the festival to be celebrated with traditional religious and seasonal fervour in the nook and corner of the state. It is the most widely celebrated festival in the Barpeta Satra to be participated by thousands of devotees.

The holi songs deal with the Lord Krishna and his playful days. Barpeta breaks into a sea of humanity when the festival takes place for a week. The first day is called gandha or banhutsava, an important day on which Vaishnavas bring materials for meji. Towards the evening three gods are brought out from inside the monastery. Mahaprabhu is then brought near the meji and after alighting the meji, mahaprabhu takes seven rounds around it. They bid farewell to the winter with fireworks. The second day is called bhar doul. The day is kept for prayers and devotional songs. On the last day, in the morning the god is brought out to be restored the kirtan ghar.

The striking feature of the festival is the huge procession in Barpeta with the gods where the participating people sing holi songs sprinkling the colourful powders to each others. The foreign and domestic tourists never miss the chance to be mesmerized with the festival.