Lucknow: The city turned into a riot of colors on Wednesday as thousands of people joined the Holi processions amid dhol beats, folk performances and clouds of gulaal. The 70-year-old Chowk procession began from the Koneshwar temple covering Kamla Nehru Marg, Medical Crossing, Victoria Street, Akbari Gate and Tehseen mosque before returning to Chowk. Folk singers performed along the way, while residents at several points welcomed the procession with flowers, reflecting Lucknow’s ‘Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb’.A similar turnout was seen at the 52-year-old Chaupatiyan procession, which started from Kakkar Park and passed through Akbari Gate, Victoria Street, Medical Crossing and Chowk, before returning to Chaupatiyan via Hardoi Road.
Devotees were served laddoos, gujhiyas and other sweets, and many were seen dancing to popular Holi songs as horses and camels moved with the procession. Members of the Uttarakhand Mahaparishad marked the festival with traditional celebrations, beginning with Ganesh Vandana and the rendition of ‘Siddhi ke daata vighn vinashak’. Participants embraced and applied gulaal to each other, followed by baithki Holi in which members sang folk songs of Uttarakhand and shared gujhiyas and malpuas.
