Indore Celebrates Historic Rangpanchami, Leaving Water Tragedy Behind

Bhopal: Leaving behind the memory of the water contamination tragedy, Indore on Sunday celebrated Rangpanchami, which falls five days after Holi, with unmatched fervour, turning the city into a vibrant, drenched canvas of colours and ‘gulal’.

Centered around the historic Rajwada Palace, the administrative Centre of the erstwhile ruling Holkar dynasty, the century old tradition features the famous ‘Ger’ procession, where lakhs of people drawn from India and abroad, and folk artists march through the thoroughfare of the city, dancing and singing amid sprinkling of ‘gulal’ (coloured powder) from the life-size sprinklers, mounted on trucks.

The century-old tradition was initiated by the Holkar dynasty.

The main festivities, including the Ger procession, are centered in the old city areas particularly around Rajwada.

Three tankers fitted with huge water cannons sprinkled ‘gulal’ high into the air during the Ger procession, making the city sky covered with a curtain of colours.

Rangpanchami celebration in Indore is a world-famous event drawing people from India and abroad to participate in it.

Meanwhile, Indore Municipal Corporation mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav has earlier declared that he would not take part in the celebration in the wake of deaths of over two dozen people due to the water contamination in Bhagirathpura area in the city.

The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has constituted a special investigation team to probe the incident.

Mr. Bhargav, however, said that he would leave no stone unturned to make the event a grand success.

In the famed shrine of Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Rangpanchami was celebrated with the Jyotirlinga being poured with ‘gulal’ by the devotees.

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi performed rituals on the occasion in the temple.