Holi, the World of Colours.

It is one of my all-time favourite festivals. I love every festival. Love is a small word to describe the feeling I feel or to justify my emotions. The power to bring everyone together and a sense of community are what draw me to the beautiful, colourful festival of Holi.

Humans are social creatures. And nothing can portray it more beautifully than a festival that has the capacity to bring millions together, and the joy of colours that reverberate is astonishingly healing. The sense of belonging and sweet taste of gujiyas and transition from winter to spring officially, allowing one to soak in the playfulness of nature.

On this day, I forget the whys and worries of the world; and for a few moments, I’m transported into the land of flowers, colours, and absolute love and joy—the land of my dreams. Perhaps, that’s what it’s supposed to do—to provide with a sense of purpose amidst all the chaos, to give a breather amidst all the grief, and to remind us that all is still not lost. There is still hope for humankind because essentially the true nature of life is happy.

The festival of Holi, in India, depicts the divine love of Lord Krishna and Radha. Colour is put on the faces of everyone to depict that all are the same and one in the eyes of the Lord. The colour of your skin, gender, financial status, nothing matters.

Holi is also celebrated to signify the triumph of Lord Vishnu over Hrinayakashipu. It lasts over a full day and night. Starting on the evening of full moon night (Purnima), in the month of March. The first evening is called Holika Dahan—burning of the demon, Holika. It has many spiritual dimensions to it. It symbolizes the burning of all the demons inside us and surrendering them to nature, and with a pure heart and soul welcome the new us and a new cycle of nature with spring. The next day is the Holi—Rangwali Holi—Holi of colours.

Two things really struck me today: this past year of the pandemic and how a sense of community is important for a healthy world. Both things are interrelated at a molecular level.

The year that forced us to live isolated and away from each other avoiding any human touch whatsoever. It left many to face emotional turmoil but also brought forward how we all fought hard and tried to maintain some semblance of sanity. From wishing each other from across the street to festivals being celebrated over Zoom calls, the concept of connectivity changed, but we still connected. It reminded us of what is important, and also the ephemeral nature of this world. To be alive fully and to be aware of ourselves so that we can be in sync with nature—to live life to our fullest potential.

My favourite part is the colours—the beauty of yellow, the fire of red, and the serenity of blue. Bright, full of life clours—bringing hope and prosperity into everyone’s life.

May this Holi you find the joy. May you rediscover yourself and you find the courage to love yourself more.

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