During Holi, the police do their duties to prevent any unsavory acts of Holi revellers everywhere. But at the Dharmasala police station of Jajpur district, the cops play a major role as host in organising a two-day-long Holi festival, popularly called Munsi Melan.
“Since 1877, the police have been organising the festival of colours with mirth and merriment in Dharmasala. The then police officer of Dharmasala Gopinath Parija, popularly known as Daroga Munshi, had started the festival 136 years back. Since then, the festival is held every year by a managing committee headed by the Officer-in-Charge of the police station. We give full support to locals to organise the festival. All police men and women never touch any non-vegetarian foods for two days during the festival,” said PS IIC Prasanta Kumar Majhi.
Thousands gather each year to witness the festival. “To improve the relationship among the police and public, this festival had during the British period. The Dharmasala PS was established in 1874 after more than a decade of the end of the First War of Independence or Sepoy Mutiny in 1857. Many locals had started revolting against the British rule at that time, for which the police had started Munshi Melan to lure the locals towards the British rule,” said local historian Dr Nurisingha Charan Sahoo.
Over 40 Radha and Krishna idols are brought from nearby areas as part of the celebrations. The deities are carried in their palanquins. The procession is led by village drummers, pipers and policemen. The procession halts in front of each household and the deities are offered Bhog. On the second day, the celebrations culminate in a festival for the deities at the ground near the police station. The idols assemble at a ground near the police station for the Melan (gathering of deities).
A keen competition is observed in the decoration of the palanquins. When all palanquins reach the place, a display of fireworks takes place being watched by thousands of enthusiastic people.