Rewari4 minutes agoAuthor: Mukesh Sharma
Along with Lathmar Holi of Barsana, Haryana’s Korde (Hunter) Holi also has its own special identity across the country. On the day of Holi, it is a different experience in itself to see women raining kordas (hunter of clothes) on men in public streets from villages to cities of many districts including Rohtak, Jind in Haryana.
In this hundreds of years old traditional way of celebrating Holi in Haryana, from small children to the elderly, women happily eat kordas. The next day of Holi i.e. Dhulendi is eagerly awaited by not only women in Haryana but also men. According to folk beliefs, the tradition of Korda Mar Holi started 800 years ago in Deswal belt of Haryana i.e. Jatland. Today Holi is celebrated in this manner from villages to the streets of cities. On this day Holi is played with laughter and jokes and staying in modesty, away from all kinds of restrictions, all women and men enjoy this way of celebrating Holi.
20 days tradition
Usually the festival of Holi is celebrated for two days across the country. On the first day, worship with Holika Dahan and on the next day play Dhulendi. Women in Haryana start following the tradition of Holi as soon as the month of Falgun begins. From the beginning of the month of Falgun to Holika Dahan, that is, for about 20 days, any man, whether he is a small child or an elderly, who comes out in the streets, has complete freedom to throw water. Anyone who belongs to Haryana does not oppose it, because everyone knows that this is a tradition made by their ancestors. On the next day of Holi i.e. on the day of phag, it is the turn of men to paint.
Hunter makes himself
For Holi with Korde i.e. Hunter, women start special preparations three to four days in advance. For the Holi played on the day of Phag (Dhulendi), donations are collected from house to house in villages as per wish. The women themselves prepare the korda (hunter) with their own hands. This hunter is woven from cotton cloth dupatta etc. It is made in such a way that there is no special mark on the body of the men killed and the tradition is also carried on.
As soon as the water is poured, women make it rain.
On the day of Dhulendi, women do household and farm work early in the morning. During this time, along with balloons decorating the main squares and squares of the streets in villages and cities, big drums and kadhas are filled with colored water. After 10-11 o’clock Holi with Korod begins. In this, the brother-in-law pours colored water from drums and cauldrons into buckets and other utensils on his sister-in-law, and in return, the women throw whips on them. During this, where men try to escape from the whips, while the women chase them and make them rain. This program lasts for several hours. During this, to protect the eyes and face from color, women tie a dupatta on them.
Korda Maar Holi of Sundana village is the most famous
There is no restriction on the day of Korda Maar Holi. Women and men of every society take part in it. Korada Mar Holi of Sundana village with a population of about 7 thousand in Rohtak belt is famous in the whole area. People from nearby villages also reach to see this Holi of the village. On this day there is a fair-like view at the village square. With the dance to the beat of the dhol, the women are seen raining blows on the men. There is no age restriction during this. From small children to the elderly, women of 70 years are seen pouring water and eating whips.
Even the SP had become convinced of the Hunter Wali Holi.
The practice of Korde’s Holi is not limited to the villages and localities of Haryana, but all the big officials of the government have also enjoyed the Holi played by Korde. In the year 2018, IPS Pankaj Nain, who was the SP in Rohtak on the day of Holi, had organized a program in his camp office to play Holi with Korde. In this, the voice of the hunter i.e. Korde was clearly heard between the women policemen and the policemen. On that day, the female police personnel had fiercely lashed out at the male policemen in uniform.