400 Years of Mourning: Jodhpur's Choutia Joshi Family Skips Holi Due to Tragic Past

• The Choutia Joshi families of Jodhpur and Pokhran have not celebrated Holi for over 400 years, observing it as a period of deep mourning.
• This tradition stems from a tragic incident in 1752 Vikram Samvat when Lala Devi and her son Bhagchandra died in a Holika Dahan fire.
• During Holashtak to Dhulandi, the family observes strict mourning: no new purchases, no sweets, no new clothes, and no 'Dhoond' celebration.
• Family members avoid even looking at Holika Dahan flames, a tradition so strict that ancestors declared it a 'fortnight of mourning'.
• Despite scattering globally, Choutia Joshi family members continue to uphold this tradition, honoring their ancestors' sacrifice.