Korba:
When the country celebrates Holi on Monday, a non-descript village in the district will once again stay away from the festival of colours.
Thanks to a self-imposed ban, Kharhari village, 35 km from Korba with a population of 4,000, will not celebrate the festival of colours as per a 150-years-old tradition.
According to Panchram, an 80-year-old villager, belief has it that 150 years ago, incidence of arson and epidemic were rampant there. It was then that a goddess appeared in the dreams of a quack and asked him to give up Holi celebrations as a panacea for all the problems.
Since then, celebration of Holi in all its forms is banned in the village, he said.
Even if someone wants to go outside to celebrate it, they are dissuaded from doing so, he added.