Varanasi, March 12 -- In an intense celebration, devotees and Naga Sadhus marked the tradition of playing Holi with funeral ashes at Manikarnika Ghat on Tuesday, blending spirituality with the raw symbolism of mortality.
The event, known as 'Chita Bhasma Holi' or 'Masan Holi,' saw ascetics wielding tridents and swords, while one, adorned with a garland of human skulls, performed a fierce 'Tandava' dance. Foreign tourists and devotees joined in, smearing themselves with ashes and colors, adding to the mystique of the ritual.
Gulshan Kapoor, the organiser of the event, explained that the celebration followed an elaborate 'aarti' of Baba Mahashamshan Nath at noon and lasted for about an hour. Preparations for the event begin six months in ad...