Holi, also known as Eid-e-Gulabi, is a shared colourful heritage of Hindus, Muslims

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed*
Though I never see people as Hindus and Muslims as the famous poet saint Kabir had said that he doesn’t see a Hindu and and Muslim in the eyes of a person but a human! Interestingly yet I would like to share that Tilak Raj Rustagi, a Hindu friend and colleague of mine, has since 1983 been coming to my place on Holi to smear the red gulal on my forehead as a mark of the festival’s inter-faith harmonious spirit.
Once a relative of mine, on seeing the colour smeared on my forehead, remarked, “It is irreligious and un-Islamic to play Holi.” I told him that such things only reiterate my faith in my religion, as friendly acts like putting gulal or lighting a candle on Diwali cannot take away my religion.
In the same tone and tenure, Atyab Siddiqui, a senior Delhi High Court lawyer, while celebrating the hues of Holi with his wife Umema, son Mizan and Sumaiyya, states this lovely couplet about Urdu, “”Munh par naqab-e-zard har ik zulf par gulal/ Holi ki shaam hi to sahar hai basant k!” Residing in Noida, he celebrated Holi’s festivity by sharing different colours, sweets and Holi poetry, he said, “India’s is a mixed tradition of secular credentials where Muslims welcome and celebrate Holi the same way as Hindus love savouring Eid’s sheer and sevaiyyan sweet dishes!
Since I have Lala Liloo Bansal, a Hindu neighbour, perhaps the only one in the entire Zakir Nagar, opposite my house, I have made it my principal to lit two candles throughout the Diwali night in my balcony so that he is not hurt to see darkness at my end.
This milk of concord is very necessary since Hindus and Muslims have for centuries been living together in India. Besides, Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) has said that the biggest sin according to him is hurting the people’s hearts and lacerating their feelings; therefore I too don’t want to hurt my Hindu friend by letting darkness in my balcony on Diwali night.
Holi has a Muslim history as well. Revered Sufi saints like Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia and Ameer Khusro in their chaste Persian and Hindvi poetry have adored the ‘pink’ festival generously.
Emperor Bahadurshah Zafar, whose Holi phags (songs) are even relished today and who allowed his Hindu ministers to tinge his forehead with gulal on the day of the festival each year, writes: “Kyon mo pe mari rang ki pichkari, Dekho kunwarji doon gi gari…” (Why am I with colour sprinkled – By me now you will be abused).

Even Jahangir is shown holding Mehfil-e-Holi in Tuzk-e-Jahangiri with great enthusiasm. Many artists, especially Govardhan and Rasik have shown Jahangir playing Holi with Noorjahan, his wife.Holi celebration in a Muslim family
Mohammed Shah Rangila, in a remarkable painting, is shown running around the palace with his wife running after him with a pichkari (syringe). Such examples are umpteen for India’s cultural heritage has been enriched by the harmonious amalgamation and assimilation of various faiths and ethnicities besides the blend of harmonious socio-religious fabric.
During the Shahjahani tenure of Delhi, Holi was known as Eid-e-Gulabi (pink Eid) or Aab-e-Pashi (shower of colourful flowers) and truly so owing to its carnival spirit and hysterical rejoicing for both the major Indian communities.
The umaras (nobles), the rajahs and the nawabs all exchanged rose-water bottles and sprinkled scented water on each other along with the frenzied beating of nagaras (big drums).
This enlightened spirit percolated in the Mughals right from the time of Akbar. Even Jahangir is shown holding Holi festivities in his autobiography “Tuzk-e-Jahangiri”. Many artists, especially Govardhan and Rasik have shown Jahangir playing Holi with Noorjahan, his wife. Mohammed Shah Rangila, in a remarkable painting, is shown running around the palace with his wife following him with a pichkari.
Such examples are umpteen for India’s cultural heritage has been enriched by the harmonious amalgamation and assimilation of various faiths and ethnicities.
Mirza Sangi Baig in “Sair-ul-Manazil” narrates that the rollicking and frolicking Holi groups were alternately powdered and drenched till the floor had been covered with a swamp of crimson, yellow and orange colours with the faces being multi-coloured, a spectacle so very enthralling and exclusive that words fail the speaker or the writer to describe the thrill.
“Who says Holi is a Hindu festival?” asks Munshi Zakaullah in his book “Tarikh-e-Hindustani”. Zakaullah writes that the carnival of Holi lasted for many days during which people, irrespective of their caste, creed or any other religious or social distinction, forgot their restraints and joined in the festivity.
The poorest of the poor used to throw colour on the emperor with a spirit so great. Children’s Urdu monthly Khilona (March, 1960) mentions that during the days of Mughal emperor Bahadurshah Zafar special arrangements were made for Holi festivities.
In Jam-e-Jahanuma – an Urdu daily (March 10, 1844) – eminent writer Abdul Haq states that on such occasions of universal cosmic fabric, both Hindus and Muslims came out of their apprehensions and inhibitions to appear as unaffected and normal equals by sharing and mixing.
He described it as a spirited carnival of the Indian at a time of frenzied rejoicing, alacrity and licence of all kinds.
—
*The author is a commentator on social, religious and educational matters

Comments

Countrywide protest by gig workers puts spotlight on algorithmic exploitation

By A Representative A nationwide protest led largely by women gig and platform workers was held across several states on February 3, with the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) claiming the mobilisation as a success and a strong assertion of workers’ rights against what it described as widespread exploitation by digital platform companies. Demonstrations took place in Delhi, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and other states, covering major cities including New Delhi, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Mumbai, along with multiple districts across the country.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Budget 2026 focuses on pharma and medical tourism, overlooks public health needs: JSAI

By A Representative Jan Swasthya Abhiyan India (JSAI) has criticised the Union Budget 2026, stating that it overlooks core public health needs while prioritising the pharmaceutical industry, private healthcare, medical tourism, public-private partnerships, and exports related to AYUSH systems. In a press note issued from New Delhi, the public health network said that primary healthcare services and public health infrastructure continue to remain underfunded despite repeated policy assurances.

'Gandhi Talks': Cinema that dares to be quiet, where music, image and silence speak

By Vikas Meshram In today’s digital age, where reels and short videos dominate attention spans, watching a silent film for over two hours feels almost like an act of resistance. Directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar, “Gandhi Talks” is a bold cinematic experiment that turns silence into language and wordlessness into a powerful storytelling device. The film is not mere entertainment; it is an experience that pushes the viewer inward, compelling reflection on life, values, and society.

When compassion turns lethal: Euthanasia and the fear of becoming a burden

By Deepika A 55-year-old acquaintance passed away recently after a long battle with cancer. Why so many people are dying relatively young is a question being raised in several forums, and that debate is best reserved for another day. This individual was kept on a ventilator for nearly five months, after which the doctors and the family finally decided to let go. The cost of keeping a person on life support for such extended periods is enormous. Yet families continue to spend vast sums even when the chances of survival are minimal. Life, we are told, is precious, and nature itself strives to protect and sustain it.

Penpa Tsering’s leadership and record under scrutiny amidst Tibetan exile elections

By Tseten Lhundup* Within the Tibetan exile community, Penpa Tsering is often described as having risen through grassroots engagement. Born in 1967, he comes from an ordinary Tibetan family, pursued higher education at Delhi University in India, and went on to serve as Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile from 2008 to 2016. In 2021, he was elected Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), becoming the second democratically elected political leader of the administration after Lobsang Sangay.

Report exposes human rights gaps in India's $36 billion garment export industry

By Jag Jivan A new report sheds light on the urgent human rights challenges within India’s vast textile and garment industry, as global regulations increasingly demand corporate accountability in supply chains. Titled “Beneath the Seams,” the study reveals that despite the sector employing over 45 million people, systemic issues of poverty wages, unfair purchasing practices, and the exclusion of workers from decision-making persist, leaving millions vulnerable.

When resistance became administrative: How I learned to stop romanticising the labour movement

By Rohit Chauhan* On my first day at a labour rights NGO, I was given a monthly sales target: sixty memberships. Not sixty workers to organise, not sixty conversations about exploitation, not sixty political discussions. Sixty conversions. I remember staring at the whiteboard, wondering whether I had mistakenly walked into a multi-level marketing office instead of a trade union. The language was corporate, the urgency managerial, and the tone unmistakably transactional. It was my formal introduction to a strange truth I would slowly learn: in contemporary India, even rebellion runs on performance metrics.

Silencing the university: How fear is replacing debate in academic India

By Sunil Kyumar* “Republic Day is a powerful symbol of our freedom, Constitution, and democratic values. This festival gives us renewed energy and inspiration to move forward together with the resolve of nation-building”, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 26, 2026. On this occasion, the Prime Minister also shared a Sanskrit subhashita— “Paratantryābhibhūtasya deśasyābhyudayaḥ kutaḥ. Ataḥ svātantryamāptavyaṁ aikyaṁ svātantryasādhanam.”

Search This Blog