Holi - The Festival of Colours, Jaipur, Mar 2009
This year Anu & I were in Jaipur (Hindi: जयपुर) on 11th March 2009 during the festival of HOLI. Here are pictures from the celebrations.
Holi – the festival of color is marked as the opening festival in Hindu calendar and it falls on the full moon day in the month of PHALGUN in the lunar calendar. People enjoy themselves playing with several colours and celebrate the whole day. Originally Holi was regarded to be the festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land. The main day, Holi, also known as Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each other either from water guns, ballons or buckets. Bonfires are lit the previous evening, also known as Holika Dahan (death of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi). The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad had when Demoness Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion. This year the celebrations were a bit subdued due to water scarcity as well as the timing coinciding with the school examinations. All the same it was fun!
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Suchit Nanda
on April 19, 2009If you visit places where you have people from South Asia, such as parts of London I'm sure you can see Holi celebrations of course not to the size and scale as this but in pockets. India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and so on celebrate this festival at a major level.
As for the camera, you're right. I had little bit of dry colour on the rubber of the lens (I suspect my hands had colour I had to go into the cover at times) and also on back panel/buttons (which I opened to review a few images & setting). It wasn't serious - I could brush and get this off but imagine if they were using water and oil as they do in some places. Scary!
The bigger issue is that the streets are full of people having fun and a sort of mob-mood. So if you get say pounced upon by those putting colour on the streets there is not much you can do or complain about - and your gear is the last thing "they" are worried about. People also drink and go crazy. If I had to recommend, I would say go with a group (you are safer in numbers) and go to places where you have local people as friends - people go wild if they think that they are face-less and unrecognizable.
Its a crazy festival in ways but that's what makes it fun!
~ Suchit
http://photos.suchit.in/
http://suchitnanda.org/
Meekyman
on April 19, 2009Suchit,
Looks such good fun! I always imagined that Holi would be great to photo and you've captured the fun really well on the peoples faces, but it's a long way from the UK! So come on, did your camera get some colour on it as well?
Graham
nileshbhise
on April 19, 2009Thank you for posting Holi Photos
I always enjoy your photos and look forward for more.
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maljo@inreach.com
on April 19, 2009Very nice images,
thanks for posting.
maljo
Suchit Nanda
on April 19, 2009Thank you Uncle. As I wrote on e-mail too, I would love to do that. An exhibition on Mongolia and other places would be great. But right now we are busy working on a coffee table book and so maybe in the second half or end of the year would be good.
S.Rajgopal
on March 25, 2009I always wonder how you have the energy to do this day in and day out. Such beautiful pictures. When will you have your exhibition specially of the mongolian adventure.