The State Capital was drenched in colours of all shades and sounds of country-made drums or nagada resonated from the colonies and parks as people from all religious communities came together to join the Holi celebrations on Monday.
Police and traffic constables were deployed as a precautionary measure. Although there were reports of minor violence from several places, there was no major untoward incident, according to the police. Even a day after Holi, on Tuesday, the streets were deserted and the shops stayed shut as the State remained under the hangover of the festivities. As the people celebrated Holi, homes were filled with delicious smells wafting from dishes like Gujhiya, dahi vade, thandai and numerous kinds of sweets. A Chhattisgarhiya dish 'Dehrori' prepared with rice flour, curd and jaggery was the favourite of all.
While herbal and organic colours were popular among middle-aged people, Choodi rang, gulaal, silver and golden pastes were used by the youngsters to soak their friends in. Water-filled balloons and coloured wigs in various hairstyles ruled the streets and citizens celebrated the festival with much fervour. People visited their neighbours, exchanged Holi greetings and shared delicacies.
Even politicians were not untouched by the Holi celebrations. In Rajim, several of them visited Rajiv lochna temple during the evening hours to offer their prayers. Mahasamund MP Chandulal Sahu, Rajim MlA Santosh Upadhyay, Abhanpur MlA Dhanendra Sahu, former MP Sant Kavi Pawan Diwan, former Agriculture Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu were some of the faces that could be identified on the temple premises.
In Bastar, devotees visited the temples and offered colours to the deities before starting with the celebrations. The Krishna temples saw devotees waiting in long queues to colour the idols with gulaal made of Tesu flowers. Musical offerings were also made by professional bands early on Monday morning. Villages in districts like Janjgir, Mahasamund and Surguja began their Holi celebrations with women crooning folk songs with innuendos targeting male relatives.