For Five Villages In Nalanda, Holi Day Is Not About Colours, It Is Observed With Fasting, 24-Hour Kirtan
For 54 years, five villages in Bihar observe Holi without colours, food and a complete ban on lighting stoves until prayers and kirtans conclude.
Published : March 3, 2026 at 6:02 PM IST
By Mahmood Alam
Nalanda: Across India, almost every place bursts into colour in the month of Phagun. Streets fill with gulal, laughter echoes through neighbourhoods and kitchens overflow with festive aromas. But in five villages of Nalanda district, Holi is celebrated with restraint, prayers and fasting.
Situated near Bihar Sharif - villages like Patuana, Baswan Bigha, Dhibarapar, Nakatpura and Dedhdhara - have followed a different rhythm for the past 54 years. There are no colours, no revelry, no boisterous gatherings. Instead, the day is devoted to fasting, restraint and continuous kirtan of the name of the gods and goddesses.
From early morning, devotional songs replace traditional Fagua melodies. The chants of “Hare Ram, Hare Krishna” echo through the lanes as men, women, children and the elderly gather for bhajans.
The villages gear up on the evening of Holika Dahan when a 24-hour uninterrupted kirtan is organised, continuing until the day of Holi. Before it starts, families prepare sweets and simple dishes in advance. Once the ritual begins, kitchens are closed and nothing is cooked until the festival concludes. Many villagers also abstain from salt for the day, viewing it as an act of purification.
“In Nakatpura, a saint told us, ‘Do not abuse or fight, instead, practice continuous kirtan'. Since then, we have observed Holi this way. We don’t even light our stoves. We simply sing praises to God,” said Seema Devi, a villager.
Villagers trace the origin of this practice to frequent quarrels that once marred Holi celebrations. Alcoholism often led to disputes, disturbing communal harmony. It was then that a local saint, remembered as Sant Baba, encouraged residents to replace disorder and spend the days of Holi in devotion.
According to locals, Sant Baba was originally from Imadpur. He renounced worldly life at a young age and later settled near Patuana, where he undertook penance. He passed away on October 2, 2000. Today, a temple stands at his ashram and samadhi site, where special prayers are offered during Holi.
“Sant Baba showed us a path that led to peace in our villages. We believe this is because of his blessings,” said villager Vilas Yadav.
While Holi itself remains devoted to prayer, celebration is not entirely absent. On the following day, after the kirtan concludes, residents of Basiaura gather to play Holi with colours in the traditional way. In this way, the festival unfolds in two phases - spiritual observance is priority and festivity comes later.
For these five villages, Holi is less about colour and more about continuity of a ritual of restraint that has endured for more than five decades.
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