highlights
Every day of Holi, Akbar used to come out of his fort and play Holi with everyone.
Jahangir named Holi as Eid-e-Gulabi (festival of colors) and Aab-e-Pashi (festival of water splash).
Bahadur Shah Zafar came forward. He made Holi the royal festival of the Red Fort.
Today is the festival of Holi. This festival of colors has been played in the country for centuries. Its roots are linked to Prahlad and Holika, so the Holi played by Lord Krishna in Braj gave it a new identity. Did Mughal emperors also play Holi? Historians have written a lot about Holi during the Mughal period.
Talking about the Mughal kings, mention of Holi is seen during the reign of almost every ruler. The mid-19th century historian Munshi Zakaullah has written in his book Tarikh-e-Hindustani that who says, Holi is a festival of Hindus! While describing Holi during the time of Mughals, Zakullah tells how Babar was surprised to see Hindus playing Holi. People were picking each other up and throwing them into the tank full of colours. Babar liked it so much that he filled his bathing pool completely with liquor.
Similarly, Abul Fazal writes in Ain-e Akbarithat that Emperor Akbar was so fond of playing Holi that he used to collect various things throughout the year, with which the spraying of colors could go far. Every day of Holi, Akbar used to come out of his fort and play Holi with everyone.
Every day of Holi, Akbar used to come out of his fort and play Holi with everyone.
Sangeet Sabha used to be organized
There is mention of Jahangir’s Holi in Tuzk-e-Jahangiri. Jahangir, master of songs and music, used to organize musical gatherings on this day, in which anyone could come. However, he did not come out and play Holi with the people, rather watched all the events from the window of the Red Fort. During his time, Holi was given the names Eid-e-Gulabi (festival of colours) and Aab-e-Pashi (festival of water splash).
made it a royal celebration
During the reign of Shahjahan, Holi was celebrated where Rajghat is today. On this day Shahjahan used to play colors with the people. Bahadur Shah Zafar came forward. He made Holi the royal festival of the Red Fort. Zafar wrote songs on this day, which were named Hori. This became a special category of Urdu songs. A hori song written by Zafar i.e. Faag is still sung a lot on Holi – Kyun mo pe rang ki mari pichkari, dekho Kunwarji doongi main gari. This last Mughal ruler also believed that Holi is a festival of every religion. Jam-e-Jahanuma, an Urdu newspaper, wrote in the year 1844 that a lot of arrangements were made on Holi during the reign of Zafar. Colors were made from Tesu flowers and the king, queen and subjects all used to play with the colors of the flowers.
Lucknow Holi was also very good
Holi of Lucknow city was no less colorful than Holi of Delhi. It is said about the rulers there, Nawab Saadat Ali Khan and Asifuddaula, that they used to spend crores of rupees in the preparations for the day of Holi. However, here along with colours, there is also mention of debauchery. It is believed that on this day the Nawab used to call dancing girls and arrange musical gatherings and shower them with gold coins and precious gems. Famous poet Mir Taqi Mir (1723- 1810) wrote the song Hori on Nawab Asifuddaula playing Holi.
During the era of Mughal rulers, separate colors were prepared for Holi.
flower colors and perfumes
During the era of Mughal rulers, separate colors were prepared for Holi. Its red baura tesu flowers were collected days in advance, boiled, cooled and filled in pitchers or ponds. Even in the harem (where Muslim queens lived), instead of water, flower colors or rose water were filled in the ponds. Holi celebrations used to start from early morning. The king would first play colors with the begums and then with the subjects. Another arrangement was made in the palaces on Holi. Here, at a special place, the king and his subjects used to gather to play, at this place fountains scented with perfumes like rose water and kewra used to run continuously. Someone or the other was deployed throughout the day to ensure that there was no shortage of colored water and perfume in the ponds and fountains.
Pictures made on Begums and Nawabs
There are pictures of many artists playing Holi with Akbar’s Jodhabai and Jahangir’s Noorjahan. Among these, the names of Govardhan and Rasik come first, who portrayed Jahangir playing colors with Noorjahan. Even many Muslim poets have described in their poems the Mughal rulers playing Holi with their wives and people. Among these, names like Amir Khusro, Ibrahim Raskhan, Mahjoor Lakhnavi, Shah Niaz and Nazir Akbarabadi are prominent.
On this occasion, colors were played in most of the Sufi monasteries (symbolic picture)
Sufi saints started
Amir Khusro himself was fond of playing Holi. They used to play Holi with rose water and flower colours. Khusro wrote many Sufi songs on this festival of colours. These include – Aaj Rang Hai Ri, Aaj Rang Hai, More Khwaja Ke Ghar Aaj Rang Hai, even today it is heard not only on Holi, but also on common occasions. Muslim Sufi poets named it Eid-e-Gulaabi. On this occasion, colors were played in most of the Sufi monasteries. Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, who is considered to be the first secular saint in history, first celebrated it in his monastery. After this it became the favorite festival of Sufi saints. Even today Holi is a part of Sufi culture and ‘Rang’ festival is celebrated on the last day of the annual procession at every pilgrimage.
Ibrahim Adil Shah and Wajid Ali Shah, the last heirs of the Mughal Sultanate, used to distribute sweets and thandai on Holi and drink it themselves. However, with the end of the Mughal Sultanate, the custom of Hindus and Muslims gathering and playing with colors on Holi came to an end. Despite this, Hori and Phaag, composed then, are still very much liked.
,
Tags: Holi, Holi celebration, Holi festival, Holi news
FIRST PUBLISHED: March 25, 2024, 10:09 IST