The holi virus

In recent years the tourists, mainly from Kolkata, made this festival their own

Even in these dire days of riots and viruses, it never fails to lift my spirits. Every morning, as I walk to my workshop, I marvel at how beautiful Santiniketan is in spring. Tagore, who wrote many an ode to this season, actually instituted a little festival to usher in the spring by students of his school and university.

The tradition of celebrating “Basanto Utsav” as it was named, on the day of holi has been a reality in the University since then. First, students would put up a formal song and dance programme and afterwards, they would split into little