Just two days before Holi one of my friend asked me to join Rajwadi Kathi Holi. I never heard about this, and have no idea what and where it is. So I declined to visit. But for curiousity I searched for it. Unfortunately I did not got much information about Kathi Holi in internet. So I asked my friend what it is and how it is special. She reply me come and experience it. It cant be describe in words.
She already left with her car, so now I had to travel alone towards a place which I never heard.
I am living in Mumbai and the location where I wanted to reach is far away from Mumbai. Its Kathi village, in Nandurbar District of Maharashtra, near Maharashtra Gujarat border.
So I started searching how can I reach at Kathi village. I found some connected trains and I started my overnight journey towards Kathi village. From Mumbai to Surat 4 hrs train travel. At Surat I waited for 1 hr for another train for Nandurbar. I got train from Surat at 4 am, train reservation was not available, so travelled in general couch, where no place to stand. Its full of people. But I managed to board in train, because its the only train from which I could reach on time.
I reached at Nandurbar at 8 am. From Nandurbar I took local bus for Akkalkuva, I wasted my 3 hrs at Nandurbar, bcause first bus towards Akkalkuva was at 11.30 am. I had to reach Akkalkuva before 1.30 pm. Because from Akkalkuva to Kathi there is only 2 buses in a day, one at morning and one at afternoon 2.00 pm. I reached Akkalkuva befor 1.30 pm. Had some lunch, at 2.00 pm I got bus from Akkalkuva for Kathi village. Now I have to travel more 3 hours in local bus.
The road to reach Kathi village is quite dangerous. Land slides everywhere. At some places there were no roads. Finally at 5 pm I reached at Kathi village.
Kathi is a tribal village between Maharashtra and Gujarat. Tribals of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh came here to celebrate Indias largest Tribal Holi. Hundreds of kilometers they travel to reach Kathi village, like I reached at village. This year 1,30,000 tribals were present to celebrate this tradition Holi.
I spent full night with tribals. They dance whole night and burn Holi at early morning. Everyone is in traditional ariar. Colored faces, Colourful cloths, Crowns, music instruments, Hunting weapons.
When I reached at Kathi village there were not more than 100 people at ground, people started coming after 8 pm. and mid night there were lacks of tribal people on ground.
Really It cant be describe in words. You have to visit Kathi village to experience all this.
At next morning I left from village for Mumbai. As there is only one bus at morning. I reached home late at night. I did not sleep from two nights. But the experience I got at Kathi Holi was the best experience of my life.
