Holi, the Indian festival of colors, marks the onset of Spring in India.  It is a unique celebration of high spirits, when the new season is courted with an onset of rich colors. It is like a grand kaleidoscope that glorifies all the hues that tinge and renew the lives on earth.

Observed since ancient times, Holi is one of the most popular Hindu festivals.  With increasing migration of Indians into other nations, Holi is now observed with as much fanfare in India as in places abroad wherever there is the presence of a Hindu community.

 The celebration of Holi has different aspects. It is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, a carnival of colors, a community festival,  and a tradition of ancient spring rites.  The main event of Holi is indeed a carnival of colors. On this day, children, friends and neighbors come out on the streets and the excitement to color-anyone-you-see in shades or red, orange, blue, green, and purple takes over.

It falls on the full moon day of March, the month when the nippy north wind bows out to the refreshing and rejuvenating breeze from the south, heralding the onset of the ensuing summer in this part of the world. The time when the seasonal cycle is caught on a transition. This is when nature starts donning new color. The air is filled with promises of warmth and new lives, as the earth discards the wintry glum to greet the bright sun of summer.

 To mark the renewal and rebirth of life, Holi is a time to remind us to celebrate life, through the simple pleasures and joy of being alive.  Happy Holi!!