10 March. Tuesday. HOLI- colourfestival
Being a warm beautiful day, it reminds me of yesterday afternoon. At the time I got out of the Internet it looked outside as if it was DOOM-DAY, end of the world, end of existence.
Could not see the other side of the sreet, because of an enormous sandstorm. Must have been at least 9 to 10 Beaufort. Everybody rushing to get the goods inside, closing their doors, barricading the windows, taking cover for flying dustbins, advertising boards or whatever that was not screwed solid and safe.
As sudden as the strong wind filled with sand came up, as sudden it calmed down after 2 hours, leaving the entire Lake-Side covered with fine, red sand.
So, a beautiful warm day, filled with sunshine and a clear blue sky. A perfect HOLI-day.
The ancient Hindu festival of Holi falls on late February or on early March. Allegedly named after the mythical demoness Holika, it is a day when the feast of colours is celebrated. The festival is of a week. However it's only the last day that is observed by all with colours. Phagu is another name for Holi where Phagu means the sacred red powder and Pune is the full moon day, on which the festival ends. People can be seen wandering through the streets either on foot or on some vehicle, with a variety of colours smeared over them.
Families and friends get together and celebrate the occasion with a lot of merry making. This spring time celebration is also an outburst of youthful exuberance in which throwing colours and water balloons (lolas) on passer- by is acceptable. But, the Indian community, that is, the Marwari class who have settled down in Nepal for centuries and the people of Terai celebrate it a day later with more pomp and ceremony
Dressed in old clothes to H.E. around 11.00 to pick up Kayshani. We are expected for 'breakfast' at C.W.A. at 12.00.Walking through the door I just get a glimpse from Kayshani, trying to get away from a full colourpowder attack.
On HOLI everybody has his/her pockets filled with small plastic bags filled with coloured powder. They throw the powder at you or being even more lucky if they get hold of you they cover your face with the powder wishing you Happy Holi.
After that, to be sure that the powder will stay, they chase you with waterguns, waterbottles or even sometimes with buckets of water, to make the 'mess' complete.
The H.E. staff was well prepared, enough colour ammunition and for sure enough watersupplies (gardenhose). They made sure that Kayshani and I were looking already very 'colourfull' before we went to the children.
Arriving at C.W.A. the kids were still clean, first breakfast, then Holi. We enjoyed a tasty Tharkari (vegetable curry) with homemade Roti and fresh cabbagesalad, sitting all at the tables outside in the garden for today.
After cleaning up the tables and the plates the fun could begin. Slowly everybody joined the throwing, the rubbing in, the waterballoons.
After a while we left the little ones at home and with the older boys we walked to Lake-Side, attacked on the way by others passing bye or hiding on the roof, armed with water balloons.
We passed by from the house of one of the teachers. She called us in the yard, holding a big tray with a pile of blue powder. She wished us Happy Holi, 'blessing' us with her blue powder and treating us on tasty roti's.
When Kamal asked her if we also could 'bless' her, she said Yes, but only on my forehead. Well, sorry Miss, but that is NOT possible on Holi with such a big pile of powder.
Happy Holi - smash - Happy Holi - blessing - Happy Holi.
Waterattack from the roof at 12.00 o'clock!
Outside the H.E. the staff was sitting on the little wall.
I joined them, sitting in the sunshine, trying to get my soaked t-shirt a little bit dry. Kayshani just gave it up, she was soaked from top to bottom.
At one point we all were totally red coloured, which made me start saying to the people passing by: I want yellow. A bit later: I want green and then, to finish the grafiti on my face: I want Blue!
Soon, everyone sitting on the wall was saying: we want blue!
At a certain point two clean, official looking men stopped in front of us. "We want to make a picture of you, we are from the local Newspaper. Nr. 2 took out his videocamera with microphone and interviewed Kayshani: the local Television channel!
They said we looked beautiful with all our colours (including blue) and that for foreigners we knew how to play Holi!
Around 17.00 getting tired of running, chasing, being chased, sitting in the sun, time to hit the shower in an attempt to get all those layers of color from our bodies, out our hair.
I simply took off all my clothes, standing in the bathtub, except my t-shirt, which I took of before. I decided to keep it the way it was, I am going to put it on my Nepali wall at home. People would pay a fortune for a t-shirt like that!
About 4 washes later the water started to look a bit more clear. When I took my jeans out of the bath I discovered that my 200 Rupees watch (2 Euro) was still in one of the pockets. And still working! Wow, a real waterproof watch!!
All cleaned up to H.E. for dinner. We could not eat much after the huge 'breakfast' with the children this afternoon.
My usual evening coffee and I went up to my room, relaxing, reliving, looking at the pictures on my camera, ready for a deep happy sleep.
Happy Holi, wishing you all a colourfull life!
Sanghita
Could not see the other side of the sreet, because of an enormous sandstorm. Must have been at least 9 to 10 Beaufort. Everybody rushing to get the goods inside, closing their doors, barricading the windows, taking cover for flying dustbins, advertising boards or whatever that was not screwed solid and safe.
As sudden as the strong wind filled with sand came up, as sudden it calmed down after 2 hours, leaving the entire Lake-Side covered with fine, red sand.
So, a beautiful warm day, filled with sunshine and a clear blue sky. A perfect HOLI-day.
The ancient Hindu festival of Holi falls on late February or on early March. Allegedly named after the mythical demoness Holika, it is a day when the feast of colours is celebrated. The festival is of a week. However it's only the last day that is observed by all with colours. Phagu is another name for Holi where Phagu means the sacred red powder and Pune is the full moon day, on which the festival ends. People can be seen wandering through the streets either on foot or on some vehicle, with a variety of colours smeared over them.
Families and friends get together and celebrate the occasion with a lot of merry making. This spring time celebration is also an outburst of youthful exuberance in which throwing colours and water balloons (lolas) on passer- by is acceptable. But, the Indian community, that is, the Marwari class who have settled down in Nepal for centuries and the people of Terai celebrate it a day later with more pomp and ceremony
Dressed in old clothes to H.E. around 11.00 to pick up Kayshani. We are expected for 'breakfast' at C.W.A. at 12.00.Walking through the door I just get a glimpse from Kayshani, trying to get away from a full colourpowder attack.
On HOLI everybody has his/her pockets filled with small plastic bags filled with coloured powder. They throw the powder at you or being even more lucky if they get hold of you they cover your face with the powder wishing you Happy Holi.
After that, to be sure that the powder will stay, they chase you with waterguns, waterbottles or even sometimes with buckets of water, to make the 'mess' complete.
The H.E. staff was well prepared, enough colour ammunition and for sure enough watersupplies (gardenhose). They made sure that Kayshani and I were looking already very 'colourfull' before we went to the children.
Arriving at C.W.A. the kids were still clean, first breakfast, then Holi. We enjoyed a tasty Tharkari (vegetable curry) with homemade Roti and fresh cabbagesalad, sitting all at the tables outside in the garden for today.
After cleaning up the tables and the plates the fun could begin. Slowly everybody joined the throwing, the rubbing in, the waterballoons.
After a while we left the little ones at home and with the older boys we walked to Lake-Side, attacked on the way by others passing bye or hiding on the roof, armed with water balloons.
We passed by from the house of one of the teachers. She called us in the yard, holding a big tray with a pile of blue powder. She wished us Happy Holi, 'blessing' us with her blue powder and treating us on tasty roti's.
When Kamal asked her if we also could 'bless' her, she said Yes, but only on my forehead. Well, sorry Miss, but that is NOT possible on Holi with such a big pile of powder.
Happy Holi - smash - Happy Holi - blessing - Happy Holi.
Waterattack from the roof at 12.00 o'clock!
Outside the H.E. the staff was sitting on the little wall.
I joined them, sitting in the sunshine, trying to get my soaked t-shirt a little bit dry. Kayshani just gave it up, she was soaked from top to bottom.
At one point we all were totally red coloured, which made me start saying to the people passing by: I want yellow. A bit later: I want green and then, to finish the grafiti on my face: I want Blue!
Soon, everyone sitting on the wall was saying: we want blue!
At a certain point two clean, official looking men stopped in front of us. "We want to make a picture of you, we are from the local Newspaper. Nr. 2 took out his videocamera with microphone and interviewed Kayshani: the local Television channel!
They said we looked beautiful with all our colours (including blue) and that for foreigners we knew how to play Holi!
Around 17.00 getting tired of running, chasing, being chased, sitting in the sun, time to hit the shower in an attempt to get all those layers of color from our bodies, out our hair.
I simply took off all my clothes, standing in the bathtub, except my t-shirt, which I took of before. I decided to keep it the way it was, I am going to put it on my Nepali wall at home. People would pay a fortune for a t-shirt like that!
About 4 washes later the water started to look a bit more clear. When I took my jeans out of the bath I discovered that my 200 Rupees watch (2 Euro) was still in one of the pockets. And still working! Wow, a real waterproof watch!!
All cleaned up to H.E. for dinner. We could not eat much after the huge 'breakfast' with the children this afternoon.
My usual evening coffee and I went up to my room, relaxing, reliving, looking at the pictures on my camera, ready for a deep happy sleep.
Happy Holi, wishing you all a colourfull life!
Sanghita
posted by Rita Sanghita at
11:05:00 AM
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