Ritika
CM Yogi playing Holi of flowers. (File)
Photo: Amar Ujala.
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The Narasimha procession that takes place in the city on the day of Holi is an example of mutual harmony. Devotees play Holi fiercely in this journey. Holi songs echo. Black and green colors are not used. Holi is played only with red-yellow colours. The credit for this goes to Nanaji Deshmukh.
Manoj Jalan, General Secretary of the Holikotsav Committee, which organizes the procession, says that Nanaji Deshmukh had come to Gorakhpur in 1939 as a campaigner of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh. At that time, black and green colors were used more in the procession of Lord Narasimha coming out of the bell tower, along with throwing mud, tearing people’s clothes, giving black vessels. In order to celebrate Holi in a clean manner, in 1944, Nanaji gathered some youths and took initiative towards change.
An elephant was arranged for the procession, the mahout was told that where a black or green colored drum was seen, he should make it fall by pointing to the elephant, this was done for two-three years. The youths also had to scuffle with some unruly people. Gradually only colors remained in the colorful procession of Lord Narasimha and there was no black and green in that too. Gradually its impression was spread in the whole city.
