Holi | The Big "Bhaang" Theory

Kaleidoscope of Colors of Life

Doesn't life turn meaningful when it is colorful? Let your soul bathe in colors and drink the rainbow!!

The sky is painted with vivid hues as Indians embrace the season of spring with the kaleidoscopic festival of Holi. Since India is a land of festivals and Indians are known for their ways of celebrations. Holi, too, has a variety of good food and sweetmeat choices, and no one can forget the intoxicating bhang that is characteristic of this festival.

Why is Holi Celebrated?

Liting the bonfire symbolizes the destruction of the demoness Holika by the God Vishnu. People offer prayers and sing songs. They also dance around the bonfire as they celebrate the victory of good over evil.

The Holi Bonfire

The festivities begin a night before the riot of color takes over. The air is filled with charring wood's scent as an enormous bonfire is well decorated with garlands. People surround it and throw some food items called prasad onto the bonfire before setting it alight. The flames quickly grow to more than two stories high. 

People residing nearby can have a scenic view of the party from their window or the rooftop. They can feel the intensity of the heat on their face. When the flames cool down, everyone reaches near the bonfire with metal trays, taking a piece of the smoldering embers for their home hearth. For doing so, you have to shield your eyes from the smoke.

The Charismatic Color Play

The morning after the Holi bonfire, the streets start buzzing with bright colors called gulaal soon after sunshine bursts. The energy gets building from 9 in the morning, and it will only get crazier as the day goes on.

Another word for holi is fun 'overloaded.' Indians celebrate the end of the cold weather by smearing each other with rich colors, matching with nature. The uber-excited and restless souls just can't wait for the day, starts the 'preps' a week before. These super-naughty and slightly mischievous youngsters arm themselves with water guns called pichkaari and small water-filled balloons and fling them on 'unsuspecting victims,' i.e., whoever they see passing by.

Chill, the color washes off from the body after bathing as it's not a permanent one. But it may stain your clothes. This much mischief is absolutely allowed. 

As the day passes, people of all ages and religions gather together in their areas as they smear each other with bright and vibrant colors. In old India, gulaal (the color) was prepared with dry flowers and leaves, which had mesmerizing smells of nature, and its soft texture never hurt the skin. It felt good to be bathed in those naturally homemade colors, but synthetic colors are also widely available with the advent of modern technology. These are very harmful, and the government keeps cautioning people not to use them. But it depends on the individual what they use. Generally, they prefer using organic colors (gulaal) only, so it's played much safer now, especially in the time of COVISD19. 

Everyone tap their feet on the rhythm of the superhit Bollywood music. It can be heard from every corner of the cities marking the high energy of the festivity.

The Holi Food

Gulaal (by now, you must know that I am talking about the color) and Gujiyaas (the holi sweet dish) go hand-in-hand on this day. People' intoxicated' with the traditional 'BHAANG' relish the holi savories. 

You can not keep the food untouched from gulaal. But do not be worry about the hygiene on Holi. Nobody gets ill having bhaang and sweets with a bit of sprinkle of colors on it. 

The Essence of the 'Holi Story'

The beautiful part of the 'Holi Story' is all the differences, past arguments, and fights are forgotten as color is smeared on everyone – friend and foe alike.

Clouds of colors can be seen for miles. By early afternoon, one turns into various shades with everyone being covered – from head to toe, with brightly colored powder and water. Invariably everyone ends up being indistinguishable, as the story of that man who tried to take the wrong child home comes to mind. 

Do not give a false attempt to escape from gulaal. Even if one tries to do so, someone else will paint them!

Holi Dance Party

Jot down these must-have Bollywood Holi Songs if you are planning to join a holi party. 

• Holi Ke Din - Sholay
• Rang Barse - Silsila 
• Aaj Na Chodenge Bas Humjoli Khelenge Hum Holi - Kati Patang
• Hori Khele Raghuveera - Baghban
• Ang Se Ang Lagana Sajan - Darr
• Balam Pichkari - Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
• Do Me a Favor Let's Play Holi – Waqt – The Race Against Time
• Soni Soni Akhiyon Wali - Mohabbatein

Tips and Trick for a Safe and Enjoyable Holi:

• Have an oil bath. No, seriously, grease your entire body and hair with a good amount of coconut oil (whichever is available). This costing will create a barrier that will stop the color from absorbing.
• Put on white clothes as colors pop up and look vibrant on white. 
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.
• Wear a scarf. Or enjoy the quirky pink scalp for weeks! 
• Do not allow Holi revelers to use metallic colors on your skin. These are pretty harsh and do not come off easily.
• Do not shy away from using nail polish—boys, this one's for you as well. Nails absorb the colored pigments while washing hands. Apply a generous coat of sheen and remove it after you clean up.
• Celebrate holi in groups and with people you know, especially if you are a solo woman. This will avoid any probable mishap or groping etc. Always best to do this with friends.
• Bring a raincoat for your camera, shoot images from a high place, then put it away before joining the festivities. Even GoPros can get ruined.
• Be prepared for the onslaught of colors as you come out in the streets. Someone will greet you with a fistful of red or yellow gulaal and wipe it on your cheeks, neck, shoulders, and face while shouting, "Happy Holi!" 
• Pick up some cotton earbuds to clean the color out of your ears after the event.  
• If you do not close your mouth while smearing colors, you will taste it, and it isn't delicious. People keep spitting purple for hours!
• Lastly, do not forget to let go and just have FUN!

Females and Holi

Females need to keep few things in mind while enjoying Holi. The hangout gives an opportunity for notorious guys to be sleazy. 

Generally, it is safe. However, just be cautious about this and aware that some guys will take the opportunity to push the physical interaction too far.

'After Party' Fun!

After you are baked in the hot sun, the mix of colored foam, water, and thick powders bake your skin, and you finally hit your bathrooms to wash it all down; it will start showing you another fun! When you shampoo, you will see candy-pink foam for five washes in a row. It takes few days to get it back to your former selves. 

For several days afterward, you will see the memories of Holi everywhere – splatters of purple on a staircase, streets stained with green powder, blue smeared dogs sleeping in the sun, shopkeepers handing me change with hands dyed bright magenta. 

Holi is celebrated for two days, but the memory takes a while to fade. Have fun flaunting your hair tie-dyed with pink streaks of color!

Where Is Holi Celebrated the Most?

Holi of Mathura (UP) is iconic, but it is celebrated across India with high spirits. The prime focus is northern India, but gradually it is catching on in other parts of the country and across the globe too.

Mathura is the go-to place for Holi as it is the Hindu God Lord Krishna's birthplace. Enjoy the elephant festival on the eve of Holi in Jaipur. Be a part of the eternal romance of Radha and Krishna in West Bengal. Pushkar, Udaipur, Goa, Mumbai, Delhi are other attractions for holi eve.

How to Take off Holi Colors Safely?

You may toss your holi clothes in the trash after use, but you can not do the same with your skin. You will find bits of color powder in every crevice of your body for days to come. The best way to prevent color from sticking to your skin is to moisturize well beforehand. Use oil on hair so that the powder is easier to remove or wear a scarf or a hat. 

It is also recommended to use homemade powders with ingredients that are guaranteed to be non-harmful. One way you can do this is by putting together a mix of flour, water, and a few splashes of food dye.

So if you are thrilled to know this and want to experience this extravaganza that the country offers, Holi is the perfect time to visit our beloved India. Holi is just not a festival; it is a celebration of life. If you have exciting experiences during the festival of Holi, I would love to hear it.