Holi Is A Festival That Unites, Say Odisha Celebrities

Bhubaneswar: Holi, the most vibrant of all Hindu festivals cuts across religious divides and those of caste and creed. In recent years, a lot of style and glamour is visible in how the festival is celebrated. People always look up to how celebrities play Holi and emulate in their own way in their homes.

Here’s how some celebrities in Odisha plan to spend their Holi and their greetings for the festival.

Sunmeera Nagesh, Actress

Sunmeera Nagesh, who recently received the State Film Award, is celebrating Holi this year with her family members in Bhubaneswar.

“I have celebrated Holi with my friends on Thursday and with my family members on Friday. We will go for an outing also,” said Sunmeera.

“Play a safe Holi. Do not use chemicals, as they are very harmful for the skin. Animals should not be harmed by colours,” said Sunmeera.

“Wish you all a happy and safe Holi,” she wishes.

Avisekh Rath, Actor

The actor of Katha Deli Matha Chuin fame will be celebrating Holi with the cast and crew of my upcoming movie ‘Baishali’ since they currently are shooting in Bhawanipatna.

“Everyone should play with herbal colours to avoid skin allergies. And please don’t hurt animals or put colours on them,” urges Avisekh.

Holi is a day of brotherhood. If you have misunderstanding with someone, then this is the right occasion to mend the fences, he adds.

Aruna Mohanty, Dancer

“Holi is a concept. It is symbolic. It not only colours the body, it also expresses human feelings,” says noted Odishi dancer Aruna Mohanty.

Different colours make the life more meaningful and colourful, she adds.

Holi is unity in diversity and different colours enrich the human life, says Mohanty.

“Since I am in Baroda for a dance programme, we have already celebrated Holi in our Odisha Dance Academy on Wednesday,” she says.

Meera Parida, Social Activist and President of Transgender Community

Holi is a festival of colours. The divine love of Radha and Krishna also has a Holi connection, says Meera.

Relating the legend, she says that Lord Krishna complained to his mother Yashoda about the injustice of his dark complexion and Radha’s fair complexion. Yashoda suggested that Lord Krishna should smear colour on Radha’s face and change her complexion to any colour he wants. Fascinated by the idea, Lord Krishna smeared colour on Radha’s and the Gopis too.

“Holi is a festival of brotherhood. I pray that this festival will fill joy and colour in everyone’s life. May God fulfill everyone’s wishes,” she says.

“Like every year, this year also, I will meet my near and dear ones. I usually meet and celebrate this festival with the hearing and speech impaired children. I will also go to an orphanage and old age home to celebrate this festival,” adds Meera.

Ipsita Tripathy, Student

“As Holi is a holiday for us, we have already celebrated the festival of colour in our university. We played with colours on Wednesday,” says Ipsita Tripathy, a second year student of PG, Economics, in Ramadevi University here.

“We used organic colours. We danced and distributed sweets also. Overall, we had an eco-friendly Holi,” says Ipsita.

“On this occasion, I wish you all a happy Holi. Apply colours with love and gently. It should not be harmful for others. Use organic colours and play in a friendly manner,” she adds.