Lakhs Celebrate City’s Cultural Heritage

Indore: The heart of Indore erupted into a vibrant symphony of colours on Sunday as the Gair processions took over the streets. From the majestic Rajwada Palace to narrow lanes of Tory Corner, the city transformed into a sea of joy, celebrating its cultural heritage.Indoreans had waited for five days after Holi, for this moment when the air turned thick with gulal and social barriers dissolved under the weight of tradition.Leading the charge, Tory Corner Gair set a high-octane pace with its signature ‘missile-mounted' tankers. These pressurised systems rained vibrant colours upon lakhs of enthusiasts who had gathered there since dawn. Indore Municipal Corporation had deployed an ‘Operation Sindoor'-themed tank that sprayed dyed water from its nozzle, while a majestic elephant replica captivated the crowd by showering colours from its trunk.The Moral Club added to the frenzy with an arsenal of 15 blowers and massive boring machines that saturated the sky with purple and pink gulal. Sangam Corner committee brought a touch of Braj to Malwa, featuring the spirited ‘Lathmar Holi' team from Barsana and a divine Radha-Krishna troupe that performed amidst the rhythmic chants.For residents of Rajwada, the festival has also been a sort of family reunion. Ashish Waghela, who watched the procession from his balcony, shared his nostalgia. "I have watched Gair for 40 years. Every year the energy changes, but the soul remains the same. My relatives travel from across the state just to sit on this roof and witness the sky turn orange," he said.For others, Gair represents city's social fabric. Swati Chauhan, a local participant drenched in green, remarked, "Indore's Gair is unique because the colours act as a leveller. For a few hours, there is no rich or poor—only people celebrating together. It's about unity through diversity."Kamlesh Khandelwal, one of the organisers, said, "The glory of this event is getting noticed across the globe, as this year also, many people arrived from outside the country to attend it."The event also saw spiritual fervour as Fag Yatra featured a grand tableau of Baba Mahakal, where devotees played Holi with the deity's idol.A legacy of the Holkar dynasty, Gair originated in around the 19th century. The Holkar rulers joined commoners on the streets playing Holi on bullock carts loaded with herbal colours. The idea was to transcend class and caste barriers through collective celebration. Over seven decades later, what had begun as people soaking each other in soap-water cauldrons (Kadaw) has now evolved into a high-tech festival vying for a spot on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.As the police moved in the afternoon to clear Rajwada square, the message was clear: Indore remains unrivalled capital of Rangpanchmi, where history and modern celebration blend into one colourful reality.