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On the 3rd day of Holi, the Rathwa celebrate their own festival of colour.
About 100km from Vadodara, near the town of Chhota Udepur is Kawant - a village in the heart of the Rathwa community. The Rathwas belong to the Scheduled Tribes who speak Rathwi language and are followers of God Baba Deb. They are deeply rooted in their heritage and culture. They got my interest when I was searching India's unique festivals. It is an auspicious day for Rathwas as they celebrate their commitment to harvest and the link between man and nature. It’s a gathering of their community as they recreate the joy of existence and life and is a prominent tribal festival in the north-eastern part of Gujarat falling after the 3rd day of Holi. People of the community, from places as far as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, join in auspicious day. I could see bedecked groups of tribals trekking towards the venue - women of each village wearing clothing in the same dye, while men wore turbans and skirts in order to differentiate themselves from other groups. They arrived through a variety of transport and showed off their sunglasses, radios and lighters.
When the sun set on the festivities, I saw tired, inebriated men returning joyous to their homes, young girls 'gupshup' about the day gone by, a happy community. The Rathwa Festival reminded me of how diverse Indian culture is. It is in this diversity that we find our sense of belonging. We're all part of something bigger.