Bhopal: City of Lakes soak in vibrant colours on Rangpanchami

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Vibrant colours of Rangpanchami drenched the city of lakes in the spirit of festivities on Sunday. Rangpanchami revellers celebrated the festival with enthusiasm in a traditional manner sprinkling colours on each other and smearing gulal in several pockets of the city on Sunday. Soaked in colours of joy and festivities, thousands of people marked their presence in the Rangpanchami processions that traversed through routes in the old city. The tradition of taking out processions on Rangpanchami in the old city is years old. The processions were taken out in areas including Walled City, Kolar, Barkhedi, Shahpura and others.

BMC chairman Kishan Survanshi and others joined the procession of Hindu Utsav Samiti in the old city. The procession also had tableaux of Radha-Krishna. A fleet of camels and horses also marched along with the revelers at the procession. Colours were spread through water tankers.

Santosh Gupta, spokesperson of the Hindu Utsav Samiti said, “11 saffron flags, 11 drums, 10 tasa parties, 4 DJs, Shiv-Parvati dance Holi, tableaux including that of Lord Govardhan Parvat, Radha-Krishna Phag Utsav dance were the part of the procession.”  Holi tableau, Karila dance troupe tableau, 31 Mahakal Damru Mandal, Lord Shriram ji's buggy, two camels also formed part of the procession. Water guns spread dry colour and water cannons drenched the revellers.  

Musical group dance troupe danced on tunes of traditional phag songs played at the procession.

The procession started from Sarafa Chowk and passed  through Hanumanganj via Loha Bazar, Jumerati, Janakpuri, Sindhi Market, Somwara, Lakherapura, Peepal Chowk, Itwara, Chintaman Chauraha, Electronic Market, Shivaji Chowk Itwara, Jain Mandir Road, Mangalwara, Itwara Chauraha, Ghora Nikas Chouraha. Drums and DJs marched at the forefront of the procession.

Rangpanchami revellers from Barkhedi, Shahpura Kolar, Bairagarh and BHEL joined the procession.

Vidisha's troupe performed Shiva dance on the Holi song in the procession taking out at Subhash Chowk. Artists who played the role of Lord Shiva and ganas performed a dance by sprinkling ‘bhabhuti’. The procession started from Barkhedi under the aegis of Navyug Hindu Utsav Samiti. The Bhopal Festival Committee's Rangpanchami Chal ceremony  started from Shahpura Shaitan Singh Market.