500-year-old Holi tradition in Majra: Devotees walk barefoot on burning embers

The festival of Holi Dahan has been celebrated in a unique way for more than 500 years in Majra village of Prantij taluka of Sabarkantha district. Even in the Yantra age, the ancient tradition is still intact, in which devotees walk barefoot on burning embers. On the night of Holi, two different Holi are lit in the square of the Bhairavnath temple in the village. One Holi is made of wood, while the other is made of cow dung. After the lighting of Holi, people from the children of the village to the young and the elderly walk barefoot to pay their respects on the embers of the wooden Holi. No incident of burning has been reported in this tradition till date, which the villagers consider to be the grace of Dada Bhairavnath. On the occasion of Holi Dahan, devotees from far and wide including Mehsana, Ahmedabad, Modasa and Gandhinagar come to have darshan of Dada Bhairavnath at Majra. People offer things like coriander, dates, shrifal, sugarcane and mangoes to fulfill their beliefs. If a son is born in a family on the day of Holi, then the tradition of giving the child the first Holi darshan is also prevalent. Newly married couples also visit Holi and circumambulate it. The farmers light a bundle from the flame of the fire and take it home as an auspicious remembrance for their fields and livestock. Tight security arrangements were made by the Prantij police to maintain law and order on the occasion of Holika Dahan. Prantij PI N.R. Umat and PSI J.D. The police staff, including Patel, were present and took over the operation.