Holi was not played in Bundelkhand, Rani Lakshmi Bai’s husband died on this day

As soon as Holi is lit, people get drenched with colors all over the country. Along with children and young men, women also celebrate the festival by applying color and gulal on each other in the fun of Holi. From Holika Dahan to the cities and towns to the villages, the color of Holi goes on continuously for eight days. Everyone has fun in the spirit of Holi, but here in Bundelkhand region, on the next day of Holika Dahan, Pareva remains in anjha (mourning). Anjha means the color of Holi is not played anywhere on this day. However, in modern times, children in the cities play Holi by staying away from this tradition, but even today in rural areas, colors and gulal are not used to celebrate Holi.

Bundeli people mourn on this day. The tradition of not playing Holi on the day of Pareva is also hundreds of years old, which is still prevalent in the rural areas. Writer and poet Ganesh Shankar Vidyarti told that on the next day (pareva) of Holika Dahan, there is anjha (silence) in the rural areas of Bundelkhand region. Holi is not played in the villages on the day of Pareva. There is a strange kind of silence in the whole area. It is told that Gangadhar Rao, the husband of the heroic Rani Lakshmibai, died on the day of Pareva, that is why the Bundelas mourn the death of their king by not playing Holi on the day of Pareva.

Rani Lakshmibai’s husband died on the eve of Holi

Jhansi’s social worker and journalist Ravi Sharma told that for hundreds of years, Bundeli people stay away from the color of Holi on the day of Holi festival, because the husband of heroine Rani Lakshmibai had died on the day of Holi festival. Told that the tradition of not playing Holi on the day of Pareva is going on since then. Told that from Bhaiya Duj of Holi festival, the color of Holi in the entire Bundelkhand and surrounding areas, Holi starts with Gulal which continues till Rang Panchami.