Dol or Holi is celebrated in a unique way in some parts of Purulia. I had heard so much about Basanta Utsav at Chelyama in Raghunathpur-II in Purulia that I decided to visit the place with my family. It turned out to be one of our most memorable holidays.

We took a train from Howrah to reach Adra station. The journey took around five-and-a-half hours. Our stay was arranged by a local organisation, Manbhum Sanskriti Kendra. During Dol, they organise car pick-ups from the station. An hour’s drive later, we arrived at our destination, Chelyama.

We were thrilled that we would be staying in tents pitched amid tall palash trees. The tents turned out to be quite comfortable, complete with mattresses, blankets and pillows. The next morning, waking up to the sound of birds and the rustle of leaves, I stepped out of our tent to be greeted by a crisp sun and baul singer Arjun Khyapa strumming his ektara and singing: “Bhenge mor ghorer chabi, niye jabi ke amare!” It was a moment to cherish.

The Dol festival is organised around a magnificent temple dating back to the 8th century — Bandhar Deul. Villagers say the deity was stolen many years back and no one now knows which god the temple was dedicated to.

On the day of the festival, we started playing with abir to the tune of baul songs and drumbeats. There were around 250 visitors from Calcutta and beyond, and we all enjoyed the festival together. Smeared in colours of every hue, we sang and danced throughout the morning. Fiery red palash trees added to the festive feel. The organisers had thankfully set up a dozen temporary bathrooms and in the afternoon we put them to good use, scrubbing away the day’s work!

In the evenings, we enjoyed chhau, jhumur and various other folk dances and baul fakiri songs. The bauls had come all the way from Asannagar in Nadia district. About 10,000 people from nearby villages came to watch the evening performances, giving the place the feel of a huge mela. A Calcutta-based organisation, banglanatak dot com, has helped the local people develop a community-led heritage folk tourism during Holi.

Set amid beautiful landscape, Chelyama also has terracotta and Jain temples dating back to 6th-8th century. Another place worth visiting nearby is Kashipur Palace. This year, the festival will be held from February 27 to March 1.

Going

Take a train to Adra — Adra Chakradharpur, Rupasi Bangla or Purulia Express — from Howrah. Take a car to Chelyama.

Staying

To stay in tents organised by Manbhum Sanskriti Kendra, contact Subhas Roy (9932780094) or Siddhanjan (9831382672). The organisers provide food (veg/non-veg) and mineral water. They also arrange for local tours and transport from Adra or Purulia at an extra cost.