Varanasi,

23 Feb (HS): The Kashi Vidvat Parishad, a body of Sanskrit scholars and Hindu

scripture specialists, has criticized the custom of playing 'Masane Ki Holi' on

the city's cremation sites, Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats, stating that

the practice violates scripture. The 'Masane ki Holi' or 'Bhasm Holi' ritual

begins on the day following Rangbhari Ekadashi on Manikarnika and Harishchandra

ghats, when seers and devotees play with ashes and gulal from burning funeral

pyres.

The

phrase'masan' means cremation ground, and the observance represents Shiva's

renunciation as well as the cycle of life and death. Ash, according to

devotees, serves as a reminder of mortality and separation. Vinay Pandey, a

Parishad member, alleged that celebrating Holi at 'Mahashamshan' was not in line

with Vedic traditions and that certain persons had lately organized the event

by portraying it as a historic ritual.

The

term'shamshan' (cremation ground) has a particular solemnity. This is not a

place for celebrations. Pandey asserted that youths in the area are

increasingly breaking established conventions. Ajay Sharma, state head of the

Sanatan Rakshak Dal, stated that the practice began in 2014 under the guise of

providing 'thandai' to ascetics and was later promoted as a centuries-old

ritual. He further said that revellers engage in drunkenness and disorderly

behavior in the name of 'Masane Ki Holi'. According to him, scriptures condemn

unjustified visits to cremation grounds, which contribute to ritual defilement.

Referring to the iconic 'Masane ki Holi' song by the late Pandit Chhannulal

Mishra, Sharma stated that the celebrated Hindustani classical vocalist

underlined that his performance was devotional in character, not a promotion of

the practice.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi