Although the city streets were not lined with the throngs of people celebrating Phagwah typical of earlier years, those who did come out celebrated with the enthusiasm and gusto befitting the Hindu spring festival.
In years gone by, the Kitty area used to be still crowded with persons throwing water and colourful liquids and powders on each other in the early afternoon; however, this year they did not stay out that long.
In Campbellville, another area where Phagwah used to be played for much longer, a few persons, mostly family members, were still to be seen having a grand time together, their faces coloured beyond recognition. Playing music and dancing in the front of their yard they were more than willing to pose for the Stabroek News camera.
The people of Alexander Village were out on the streets in far greater numbers, splashing the vibrant colours on each other. At Seeram’s bar in First Street, a small crowd had gathered, eating sweetmeats and having a lot of fun, judging from the squeals of laughter and happy smiles on the faces. Another group gathered in a yard down the road was dancing to music and hailing passers-by, their clothes coloured beyond redemption.
Not to be outdone, James Street, Albouystown residents followed their traditional pattern of taking to the street en masse armed with an ample supply of water. The youngsters there performed to the maximum and gave everyone who dared pass a good dousing.
The flooding along parts of the lower East Coast, which had largely receded by yesterday morning, did not inhibit the residents there from taking part in the traditional Phagwah celebrations.
