Monday, Feb 26, 2007
A Saga of Gulal Gota Holi in Jaipur
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While most of us remember Holi festival as a day when colours and coloured water are poured on near and dear ones by using water pistons or balloons, some Jaipurians recall it as an occasion when the royals would throw colours on people using Gulal Gotas, a very thin layered lac containers.
Used during Holi celebrations, Gulal Gotas are filled with dry coloured powder and are thrown on far off bystanders. At first sight, Gulal Gotas may be mistaken as sweet dishes but they are round-shaped small lac containers.
There are very few takers of Gulal Gotas left today to cherish the old charm. It is said that the revelry in the past looked much more fascinating than present days, as today one can find hard-hitting water balloons and chemical paints or colours being largely used by people at many places.
But the elders in Jaipur relate the history of Gulal Gotas with the Jaipur royal families, when some of its members would astride horses and meander through the streets tossing Gulal Gotas on their subjects to mark Holi.
"Making Gulal Gota is our traditional work. And, Gulal Gota was a favourite among the royal families for Holi festivities. It is made of lac. It is empty from inside and Gulal (colour powder) is filled in the lac container. It is tossed, targeting the person, and when it breaks, Gulal spreads all over the other person's body. The main point is that it does not hurt to the other person," said Arif Mohammad, Gulal Gota maker.
Since Gulal Gota has a shape and size of a balloon, it provides a good choice to spray colours on others even from a long distance. This special item is made of lac material and Gulal (colour powder) is filled in it.
An interesting part of Gulal Gota's saga lies in the fact that though it is used in a Hindu festival, it has always been prepared by Muslim artisans. Even today, making Gulal Gotas happens to be the domain of Muslim families.
With the passage of time, there has been an almost complete eclipse of the princely families and their royal lifestyle.
And, this has caused a drastic decline in the demand for Gulal Gota. There are now just half a dozen Muslim families left to prepare Gulal Gotas.
"This Gulal Gota was used during the times of Kings and Queens. It is made of lac. Now there are no kings and queens who will play with it," says Babbu Khan, a Gulal Gota maker.
Fortunately, Jaipur does boast of a selected few families, who wish to play Holi with Gulal Gota. And, thanks to this limited patronage, a couple of shops at Maniharo-Ka-Rasta in Jaipur do stock Gulal Gota.
"I enjoyed playing Holi using Gulal Gota, as I can toss it on the person who is very far from me," said Mohammad Farooq, a child from the family of Gulal Gota maker.
"I also like playing Holi with Gulal Gota and enjoy it very much," added Farhaj, another child.
Gulal Gota manufacturers say that playing Holi with Gulal Gota is safe as it does not harm the body due to its very delicate and thin layer of lac material, which easily bursts on body contact and spreads colours on the person.
However, these artisans say that their younger generation is not to keen to carry on this work since the demand has dwindled and also making a Gulal Gota needs hard work.
Rajasthan is also known for its lively Holi celebrations, which include elephant sports, long, and noisy parades, music, theatre and dance performances, and the most enjoyed throwing colours and splashing of water. (ANI)
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