There is no colour for more than seven thousand people of Durgapur village who have not been playing Holi from the past 154 years.
Though there is no logical account behind the very fear of the people of this area that celebrating Holi will bring bad omen for them including natural calamity and death in the village.
The village Durgapur is situated at the bank of “Khanjo” river, between the hilly areas of Kashmar block under the Bokaro district. The village is near about 45 kilometers from the Bokaro Steel City and 10 kilometer from the Kashmar Block office. .
The villager M Mahato (aged about 88 years) a retired government school teacher told that about 52 years back a group of visitors came to the village and celebrated Holi and the very next day all were dead in their huts and latter also natural calamity struck the village.
After this incident villagers started believing that if they will play Holi, they will lead in the problems.
Another villager Raj Mahato (72 years) told that Holi is not celebrated in the village during the time of the “King Durga Prasad Singh”, the king of ‘Manbhum’.
There is the myth that last Holi has celebrated some 159 years ago during the regime of King Durga Prasad Singh. When Holi was celebrated the village witnessed famine and cattle died. There was no crop on the land for three successive years.
The famine and baron land prevented people to celebrate Holi. Since then Holi is not celebrated. People believe was affirmed when 52 years ago some traders died who celebrated Holi in the village.
As the story goes, Durgapur was ruled by King Durga Prasad, who loved to celebrate Holi in a big way, around 175 years ago. One year, he lost his son on the day of the festival and subsequently, whenever villagers organised a celebration, it was followed by a famine or an epidemic of cholera or plague that led to the deaths of several people.
“Later, the king banned Holi in the periphery of his village. And this is still being followed,” said another villager, Jagra Mahto, adding that they had never celebrated Holi in their life.
“If any youth wants to celebrate holi they go to some other village or they go to their relatives place”, he added. Mahato said that villagers do not want that their relatives to come to the village at the occasion of Holi.
Recalling the incidents that took place some 52 years ago Manoj Mahto, a 87-year-old villager said : “Since my childhood, I have not seen a celebration of Holi in the village. I have witnessed people meeting to their doom who shown courage to celebrate Holi in the village”.
“Just after the independence of the country few traders (cattle businessmen) stayed on the day of Holi in our village. Going against the suggestion of the villagers they celebrated Holi. All of them died within a month and the cattle of their possession also died” said Mahto. The incident affirmed the belief of the villagers not to celebrate Holi.
The villagers who want to celebrate Holi move out from the villager celebrate to relatives and friends villages. No Holi formalities take place to avoid any problem.
“During our childhood when we insisted to celebrate our grandfather used to tale King Durga Prasad Singh story. I had celebrated Holi many times in my maternal uncle village” said 72 years old Ganju Mahto.
Those who celebrate Holi outside the village faces no problem. “The colorless Holi seems to be the fate of the village. Who will risk to break the myth” said Sudan another villager.
