Happy Holi! India celebrates the festival of colors

Mar 15, 2017, 08:55 am

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) celebrated the Holi festival on March 13./ Photographed by Jeong In-seo

By Jeong In-seo, New Delhi correspondent, AsiaToday – India's spectacular festival of color kicked off on March 12. Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the arrival of spring and the end of winter. The festival starts on the Purnima (full moon day) in the month of Phalguna, the last month of the Hindu calendar (between late February and early March), and reaches its peak on the next day.

On the evening of the 11th, I was able to see many people burning Holika in the streets while praying. Holika (The word 'Holi' comes from her name) is a female demon in Hindu mythology. On the night before the Holi festival, people burn an effigy of Holika to celebrate the victory of good over evil, and enjoy the festival the following day.

I was able to see many people burning Holika and praying on the night before the Holi festival./ Photographed by Jeong In-seo

On March 12, a flying water balloon came to me as I got out of my house. Children threw water balloons at people passing by, shouting, "Happy Holi!" People who were hit didn't get upset. Rather, they just laughed and shouted, "Happy Holi!"

The faces of people passing by the streets were tinted with colorful paints. All of them smiled brightly and said, "Happy Holi."

The festival was in full swing at Ganga Hostel's vacant lot in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in southern New Delhi.

The JNU was crowded with people gathered to celebrate the festival. Everyone danced and shouted, "Happy Holi!"/ Photographed by Jeong In-seo

Everyone was spraying and dousing others with buckets of colored water. People were dancing in the lot. Some even climbed trees to dance. All of them were shouting, "Happy Holi!"

Shahid Imran, a 27-year-old student at JNU, SAID, "Holi is not a mere festival of color." He said, "The festival is meant for everyone to enjoy, regardless of their religion, class, and generation. Everyone is enjoying the festival."

Indian people enjoying the festival./ Photographed by Jeong In-seo

Vijav Kumar, who spent four years studying in Korea, compared Holi festivals in Korea and India. He said, "It's been four years since I enjoyed the festival in India. I also attended the Holi festival in Haeundae, Busan when I was in Korea. People just danced and painted colors on others' faces. It couldn't make an unique vibe like the one in India. But things are really different here in India. There's something that cannot be expressed in words."

Korean students studying at JNU also enjoyed the Holi festival./ Photographed by Jeong In-seo

During the festival, I also met Korean students whose faces were painted in purple. Ko Kwan-woo, 22, the head of the Korean student council at JNU, said, "It is an enthusiastic festival. The first thing caught my eyes was the enthusiastic students. I was surprised to see people who were quiet at other times standing on top of their cars." He continued, "I was also surprised to see so many people in a single place to dance all day long."

Foreign tourists were seen celebrating the festival. Hikaroo, a 21-year-old Japanese tourist, said, "This is something you can't imagine in Japan." He said, "I'm very happy to be able to experience the Holi festival during my trip to India. I would like to recommend the festival to my friends."

People are enjoying the festival by singing and dancing./ Photographed by Jeong In-seo