Finally, the much awaited Holi Festival rolled around once more to dye two days with color and joy. Yashodhara lived this day with great enthusiasm - Holi, the festival of color celebrated at the beginning spring, always coincides with the full moon. During spring, the weather changes and is believed to cause fever and colds. Throwing colored powders at one another has a healing significance: colors are traditionally made of nim, kumkum, jaldi, bilva and other medicinal herbs.
Holika is the first day. A big pile of wood is made and all the evil spirits are burnt at night. This is the symbolic burning of evil. Children scamper around a fire shouting and whistling with great emotion. Dinner is prepared in a special way that night – sweet chapati is served together with milk.
The second day, the celebration is an explosion of color. The children prepare colored powder and buckets. Then, they fill up balloons with colored water and throw colored powder at anyone within reach. Everyone ends up stained and wet, and the children have loads of fun. The mosaic of colors covering faces and bodies is a truly beautiful sight. Among laughter and fun, gratitude arises from being able to enjoy the children at Yashodhara one more year.
Eshana Alcover
