The Curryer: A Land of Many Colors

Holi- the festival of colors? No, I'm pretty sure it should be called: Holi- the festival of smiles. It's interesting to see what happens when people are given a holiday from college and work, a day in which they can relax and enjoy themselves. Give people the freedom to be kids once again, and that is what you get- kids having fun! During our hectic and confusing lives, it is good to have a day in which you can let down your guard, be a little goofy, and color your friends with bright, skin-dying powders.

Once again, I borrowed some wise words from the wiki... "The word Holi originated form "Holika", sister of Hiranyakashipu. The festival of Holi is celebrated because of a story in the old Hindu religion. In Vaishnavism, Hiranyakashipu is the great king of demons, and he had been granted a boon by Brahma, which made it almost impossible for him to be killed. The boon was due to his long penance, after which he had demanded that he not be killed "during day or night; inside the home or outside, not on earth or in the sky; neither by a man nor an animal." Consequently, he grew arrogant and attacked Heavens and the Earth. He demanded that people stop worshipping gods and start praising respectfully to him.

According to this belief, Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada, was a devotee of Vishnu. In spite of several threats from Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada continued offering prayers to Vishnu. He was poisoned by Hiranyakashipu, but the poison turned to nectar in his mouth. He was ordered to be trampled by elephants yet remained unharmed. He was put in a room with hungry, poisonous snakes and survived. All of Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill his son failed. Finally, he ordered young Prahlada to sit on the lap of Holika, Hiranyakashipu's demoness sister, who also could not die because she had a boon preventing her from being burned by fire. Prahlada readily accepted his father's orders, and prayed to Lord Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as Holika burnt to death, while Prahlada survived unharmed. The salvation of Prahlada and burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi)
As it was explained to me, Holi is the passing of evil things and the celebration of the good to come.

I was nervous the few days leading up to Holi. I knew I wanted to document it through photographs; I just didn't want to put my new camera in harms way. I spent way too much time and effort purchasing this camera; the last thing I needed was some colorful dye getting inside the lens and body. Thankfully, Namita invited me to her friend's house. She said that would probably be the one environment in which I could dictate just how messy I got.

I, of course, got caught up taking photographs, meaning I was actually able to remain clean the entire day. I was warned the dye would last 3 to 4 days. So, to be completely honest, I may have used my camera as an excuse not to be a smurf for half a week. Come to find out, almost all the color had washed off everyone by the next day; therefore, I was a little bummed I didn't play more.

However, I did get to see something even more amazing. I got to see friends laugh, old men become teenagers, and groups of people enjoying the company of each other. Sometimes, being an outsider, can give you a unique perspective. You get to watch the joy of others play out.

To finish the afternoon, Namita and I drove around a few of the residential areas near Symbiosis. Whenever we passed another group of colorful people, I would jump off and snap a photo. My favorite was the last photograph I captured of a large group of goofy guys.

As bikes and scooters flew past us, people shouted "HAPPY HOLI!" Every time, it put a smile on my face. It was a great day, and I'm glad I got to be a part of a fun tradition.