The Indian Student Association invites all students to experience Holi through colors and food.
Every year a forecast of powdered color hits the ground in Athens as men and women throw various reds, blues and purples at each other.
But, there are no hard feelings. The deliberate color fight signifies the Holi Festival of Color, which occurred in India last Friday, and Athens will have its turn to celebrate on March 21.
The Indian Student Association invites students to join in and celebrate Holi, an annual Hindu festival of colors that features symbolic tradition of unity with others and a sign of spring.
“Holi is when we splash colored powder on one another, and celebrate good over evil,” said SaiJeevan Devireddy, treasurer of the Indian Student Association. “It happens on a full moon, and is a lot of fun. We want to spread our culture in America and show students the experience.”
The colored powder is called vulal and is made of rice flour and other biodegradable ingredients that come in a variety of vibrant colors.
By celebrating Holi, there is a biological and mythological impact of playing with the colors outside, said Swathi Raghu, a graduate student studying electrical engineering and president of the association.
“(Holi) symbolizes unity and color with those around you,” Raghu said. “A major part of India is farming in the villages, and by throwing them in the air and playing with them, the farming is affected.”
There are several cultural differences between traditional Indian celebrations and the way OU throws its Holi events. For example, Raghu said there are several bonfires the day before Holi in India, with the fires raising the temperatures in the atmosphere and killing bacteria. Celebrations on campus do not include bonfires.
Another difference is the weather; in New Delhi, a northern city in India, the average temperature was 81 degrees on Holi. That same Friday, the temperatures in Athens were not as accommodating.
“This is the time where it gets a little warmer from the cold temperatures in India,” Raghu said. “Last week’s temperatures were very bad (in Athens), and it was spring break anyways, so we waited for the weather to be warmer.”
The Indian Student Association will be selling tickets for the color event as well as the Holi cultural dinner and show starting Wednesday at the bottom of Baker University Center.
“We should not stop our culture even though we are not in our country,” Devreddy said. “American students should come experience Hindi culture with other international students.”
While some customs remain the same in societies, others are questioned by those affected and modify with the times, Raghu said.
Last week during Holi, an Associated Press photographer in India captured the breaking of cultural norms with portraits of widows participating in Holi. Widows in India are marginalized in society and often spend their time mourning. They are considered bad luck in the presence of celebrations, according to the Associated Press.
“Now-a-days, everyone is thinking a little modern. I feel there is no difference for them to play in Holi,” Raghu said. “They all deserve a chance to enjoy it.”
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