(Above: Matt showing you how to get rose-colored glasses).
I’ve always wanted to visit India for Holi, the festival of Colours celebrated at the end of winter in India. Throwing colorful powder around, eating delicious Indian food, and dancing sounds like a brilliant combination. Lucky for Matt and me we didn’t even need to get on a plane to celebrate our first Holi. Holi came to us in Edinburgh.
Our beautiful friend Nutan (remember her and her Bollywood Coffee Box?) threw a Holi party for us. The party was open to any Edinburgher who wanted to be covered in colorful powder by Nutan, willing to dance on the sidewalk by her coffee and curry stand during rush hour, and can’t get enough of her delicious food and generous spirit.
(Below: Matt gets powdered by Nutan)
Nutan explained to all of us that the powder is not just a way to welcome spring (or commemorate Lord Krishna teasing his consort Rahda), but also a way to equalize everyone. It doesn’t matter what caste or class you come from or what gender you are. Everyone comes together on the street looking the same (in my case, that meant Oompa Loompa) and celebrates. Don’t you wish we did that at least once a year here in the west?
Want more Holi? Look at these gorgeous photos from The Boston Globe’s Big Picture.
Thank you, Nutan, for such a wonderful night!
Readers, have you celebrated Holi before? I’d love to hear your stories!
—-
Dear Cath,
I sooo wish you and Troy had been there! You would have had so much fun! The color powder kind of acted like booze usually does. Once you were all powdered and looking ridiculous you couldn’t not dance in the street because you figured you already looked strange to most passer-bys.
I don’t remember ever hearing about local Holi celebrations in Atlanta. Maybe at the Hindu temple in Gwinnett?
Miss you so much!
Love,
Lar
Looks so fun! Thanks for sharing!
This looks like a fabulous time! There’s still so much snow on the ground here, so it’d make an interesting spectacle if it took place here.
~F
UmmI can’t put into words how AMAZING those photos are! I had no idea about Holi before! Seems I will be looking it up very shortly! 🙂
Never heard of it before your post. Thank you. Tempted now to surprise someone.
I always love looking at the Boston globe holi pictures every year and can’t believe you got to experience it just a few blocks from your home in Scotland. I wish I had been there. I would have totally danced like crazy with you. Were you able to get the powder off of your clothes?
Thanks to daylight savings we’re only four hours apart now. That’s nothing!
Xoxo, Cath
I love Holi! Vanderbilt’s Indian student population always made sure to celebrate on one of our beautiful lawns and it was always so much fun. Your pictures look amazing!
Nutan is just toooo freaking awesome! How lovely of her to organize that 🙂 Also, some Indian curry sounds really good right now. mmmmmmm, curry.
♥ laura
the blog of worldly delights
ps. thanks very much for your lovely comments! Ben and I like to do ridiculous things like go on themed “adventures.” Any excuse to eat, really! 🙂
I had heard of this festival before but didn’t know it’s name or what it celebrated. It is even better than I thought.
That looks amazing! If there is one in Gwinnett, I’d like to be there next year
There is always a Holi celebration at Emory but it’s usually in April for the better weather
So good to know, Sahiti! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! That’s completely wild! Incidentally, I’ve always wanted to visit India too, so I’m a little jealous that India came to you! 😉
That looks like so much fun! Nutan seems awesome!
Love!!! Love love love SO much that India was Edinburgh! We played holi growing up, but since we lived in Florida and it was hot all the time, instead of powder, mom filled spray bottles with colored water – it was awesome. There are quite a few celebrations around ATL (that i’ve never been to): http://www.atlantadunia.com/dunia/eventsmain.asp. Happy Holi, a little late! 🙂