I reached down to grab my first handful of gulal but stopped short as a blast of yellow hit me square in the chest, the excess disappearing between my cleavage, tickling my torso as it tumbled its way down my tank top. I spun around to see who had hit me and was ambushed once again, a smear of green now streaking the left side of my face. Well then, so much for easing in…
And so began my second time “playing Holi†in Mumbai. Holi is a Hindu festival that has been celebrated in India for centuries. It takes place in March each year and denotes the start of spring after the long winter. On the night before Holi, bonfires are lit to signify the burning of evil spirits, representing the triumph of good over evil. On the actual day of Holi, the streets turn red, green, yellow, pink, blue and purple as people throw colored powder (Gulal) into the air and on one another. Water is also a big part of the celebration, with water balloons thrown from the rooftops and squirt guns aplenty. As the day draws to a close and the color is washed down the drain, families gather together for a festive meal or to distribute sweets among their friends and neighbors.
The last Holi we celebrated on March 7th, 2020 feels like a lifetime ago, back before COVID was breaking up our social outings and blowing holes in our best-laid plans. I, like so many, didn’t appreciate how good we had it. I think back on that day often, my last clear memory of life “before everything changedâ€. We had a tradition of celebrating Holi with the young ladies from the Sharanam Centre for Girls, an organization we’ve been volunteering with since we arrived in 2018. We hadn’t seen the girls in over two years, since that bittersweet day in 2020 when all seemed normal.
The joy was palpable yesterday, the hugs long and tight, exclamations of “I missed you†and shrieks of delight filling the air. It was absolutely glorious and as I watched the fun unfold, I marveled at these resilient young women—20+ of them—who remained under strict lockdown (like, they never left) in a single shared apartment in their tenement building for over a year. Can you imagine? And there they were, looking happy and healthy as ever.
The day’s activities were loosely structured. Everyone arrived around 10:30 AM in their white shirts. Soon after, the colored powder was poured into trays on the table, the two garbage cans filled with water, and the squirt guns passed out amongst the group. There was the usual ‘before picture’ and then it was game on. Certain people were supposed to be ‘off limits’, but as you can see, they didn’t fare so well…
The powder dominated for the first 30-45 minutes and then the focus turned more toward water play. Some individuals found themselves taking a dip in the garbage can, while others engaged in major squirt gun battles.
This just so happens to be Nia’s favorite Indian holiday. That was very clearly evident because each time she streaked by me she was screaming and laughing, water spraying from her gun, her multi-colored hair flying behind her. She looked so very happy. Which made Mama happy.
Nick attempted to be photographer so as to avoid getting messy and while he didn’t take on as much powder as I did, he definitely didn’t stay powder-free either…
This will be the last major festival we celebrate in India, since the majority of the big ones happen in the fall. It feels so final to say that, but I guess all good things must come to an end. Happy Holi everyone!
