To keep children away from alcohol, milk & sugarcane juice was served during Shimaga

The process of transformation in the religious, social, economic, political, and cultural spheres tried to disrupt the stagnating traditional culture in Colonial India.

- Chinmay Damle

The process of transformation in the religious, social, economic, political, and cultural spheres tried to disrupt the stagnating traditional culture in Colonial India. The deliberate changes in social and religious attitudes and customs advocated by the reformers tried to safeguard cultural and religious ethos while trying to create a set of new rituals and customs appropriate for the newly emerging middle class.

The reformation of the festival of "Shimaga" which was celebrated for five days with tremendous enthusiasm in the Bombay Presidency attracted a lot of attention from social and political leaders in Maharashtra.

"Shimaga" was similar to Holi where a bonfire was lit, and men and children smeared each other with colours.

In the nineteenth century, customs like abusing and consuming alcohol had infiltrated the celebrations and efforts were made to sanctify the festival consistent with the middle-class character of progressivism.

On the morning of March 12, 1925, Vishnu Vaman Ketkar, a resident of Holkar Ali, Pune, was waiting for his guests. He had invited children and men to celebrate "Shimaga" with him. His wife had prepared an excellent spread of "laddoos", "karanji", and sweetened milk. There was sugarcane juice too.

Ketkar was disturbed by the way the festival was celebrated. To burn the "Holi", beds and doors were stolen for wood. Trees were cut in the middle of the night. Obscenities were hurled at each other. Men got drunk and harassed women.

The previous year, he had invited children to his house after the festival and requested them not to be a part of the "abominable practices" associated with the festival.