Holi's Muslim history

Holi, being celebrated across India March 21, may bethe most colourful Hindu festival but it has a Muslimhistory as well.Sufi saints like Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia and AmirKhusrau in their chaste Persian and Hindi loved thefestival. Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, whose Holi‘phags& #8217; (songs) are relished even today,allowed his Hindu ministers to tinge his forehead with‘gulal& #8217; during Holi festival each year.During the Shahjahani tenure of Delhi, Holi was knownas Eid-e-Gulabi (Pink Eid) or Aab-e-Pashi (Shower ofColourful Flowers), and truly so owing to its carnivalspirit and hysterical rejoicing for both Hindus andMuslims.The nobles, kings and nawabs exchanged rose waterbottles and sprinkled them on each other along withthe frenzied drumming of the ‘nagaras& #8217;(drums).This enlightened spirit percolated in the Mughalsright from the time of the greatest Mughal emperorAkbar. Jahangir is shown holding Holi festivities inTuzk-e-Jahangiri.Many artists, especially Govardhan and Rasik, haveshown Jahangir playing Holi with Noorjahan, his wife.Mohammed Shah Rangila, in a remarkable painting, isshown running around the palace with his wifefollowing him with a ‘pichkari& #8217;, or watercannon.Such examples are umpteen in India’ s culturalheritage; and this has been enriched by the harmoniousamalgamation and assimilation of various faiths andethnicities.Mirza Sangi Baig in Sair-ul-Manazil narrates that therollicking and frolicking Holi groups were alternatelypowdered and drenched till the floor had been coveredwith a swamp of crimson, yellow and orange colour,with the faces being multi- coloured, a spectacle veryenthralling and exclusive.“Who says Holi is a Hindu festival?” asksMunshi Zakaullah in his book Tarikh-e-Hindustani .Zakaullah writes that the carnival of Holi lasted fordays during the Mughal rule during which people,irrespective of religious or social distinctions,forgot their restraints. The poorest of the poor threwcolour on the emperor.Children’ s Urdu monthly Khilona (March 1960)mentioned that during the days of Bahadur Shah Zafar,special arrangements were made for Holi festivities.And Jam-e-Jahanuma, an Urdu newspaper (March 10,1844), reported that on such occasions, both Hindusand Muslims joined hands.The above post is excerpted, with slightmodifications, from different sites.