In the Holi Festival India does what she does best...riotous colour, noise and fun. But if you're not expecting it, it can be a little disconcerting...
The first time I was hit with a water balloon from above, I took it in my stride...pesky kids, I thought, though I must admit I did jump! By the third time (within about 15 minutes), I was starting to get annoyed and paranoid.
Then I remembered the Holi Festival—the festival of colors.
It’s one of the main festivals of India, and occurs around the turn of spring, but since it’s based on the Hindu calendar, the date changes every year. It’s known by some alternative names and does have some regional differences, but basically, people throw colored dye and water (often as water balloon bombs) over each other for a day or two. It also gives people license to loosen up from their normal behavior and play practical jokes and generally have fun at their friends and relatives, especially those with whom they’re supposed to be most respectful.
It’s fantastic fun, and as long as you keep these few hints in mind, you’ll enjoy it and keep safe as well.
Holi Festival India Unsafe? What could possibly go wrong?
Well, the main thing is that you should try to be careful not to get the dye powder in your eyes, as it can cause you to go blind (not so much fun!) I think if I do Holi again, I may wear sunglasses just to give my eyes an extra chance. But swimming goggles would probably be safer!
Also, the Holi Festival India is generally a time of high spirits, so while that generally means everybody having a good time, keeping conscious of personal safety and your belongings (you should be doing this anyway) is important. While it’s not so common in India, when I was in Kathmandu, Nepal for Holi, by the time the afternoon rolled around, there were a lot of young guys on the streets drinking the local whiskey with abandon…
The other thing that would be good to do is wear clothes that you don’t care about. Because dye and water on them may, I mean, will, be next to impossible to remove. They willbe ruined.
The only thing is that hopefully you will have had so much fun you won’t care. ideally, you can sacrifice some old light colored clothing, as that way the dyes will have a better chance to shine. It’s best if you can celebrate with other people, so if you have Indian friends or even other travelers to play Holi with. Otherwise, just attach yourself to another group playing and you’ll soon make some new friends!
If you want to see what you’re in for and that photo evidence wasn’t enough, here’s a video clip from the blockbuster hit movie of 2000, Mohabbatein, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, which will show you the Holi Festival being played.
Oh, and I’ve told you before about silly Uncle characters in Hindi films, you’ll spot the Silly Uncle playing Holi—he’s the big guy in the red vest and Sikh turban.
Want to know more? Get the lowdown at this website totally devoted to telling you all about it:
Holi Festival India.
