The Phagu Festival also known as Holi, the festival of colors, has commenced with the installation today of the bamboo pole pole ‘Chir’ at the Hanumandhoka Palace premises based at historic Basantapur.
Chir is the long bamboo pole having colorful cloth pieces hanging in three different circular layers. It looks like an umbrella. It is erected in joint effort of Manandhar community and government officials.
Every year 28 ft tall bamboo pole is erected at Basantapur, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square. This is done on every Falgun Shukla Pakshya Astami to mark the beginning of the century old ritual Holi.
Hindus all over the world including Nepal celebrate this festival of colors with great enthusiasm. However, the main celebration begins a week after the erection of this pole. This year it has been erected on March 3. It is believed that one should not mind getting wet or smeared with colors within this period until it is taken down.
Local people regards the erection of chir symbolizes the tree on which lord Krishna is said to have hung Gopini clothes while they were bathing in the Yamuna River in India.
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