Tags
Assam, Bhutan, Festival of Colors, Guwahati, Hindu, Holi, India, Krishna, Spring (season)
Lada says: Everywhere around the world, Hindus celebrate Holi, the Festival of Colors, a popular springtime festival observed on the last full moon of the lunar month. Participants traditionally throw bright, vibrant powders at friends and strangers alike, celebrating the arrival of Spring and allowing everyone a momentary freedom.
Winter is over and spring arrives as nature awakens with its abundance of colors, joy and generosity. This is what this beautiful and flamboyant festival is all about.
This very special post about Holi, the Indian festival of Colors, is a joint effort between two people: Lada Ray, originally from Russia and currently residing in New York, USA and Pranjal Borthakur in Assam, India; and between two very different parts of the world, far removed physically, yet interconnected. Because where friendship, culture and art are concerned, physical borders don’t matter and distances are nothing! I am sure my friend, Pranjal, will agree with me on that!
The state of Assam is located on the northeastern tip of India, just south of Tibet. It borders Bhutan and Bangladesh and is famous for its teas, as well as for Assam silk, diverse wild life and the mighty river Brahmaputra.
A few words about my guest, Pranjal Borthakur:
He is a mathematician, not a writer or linguist; writing is not something he does every day. And English is NOT his first language (come think of it, neither it is mine). While delivering his post, he apologized profusely to me about his English. No need to apologize, Pranjal! Believe me, many of those who’ll read it only wish they could speak and write in your language, like you do in English!
Please note, only light editing has been applied, to preserve authenticity.
Pranjal owns a small school in Guwahati, the capital city of Assam. He sent me a few pictures of his school, complete with lots of adorable children and animals. Please meet them:
Find out more about Pranjal’s school on his blog: http://sssniketan.blogspot.com/
Pranjal says: Holi is a festival of colours since it has many dimensions. It symbolises Respect, Friendship and Love. Which Lord Krishna believed..
Pictures below: Pranjal celebrates Holi with family and friends.
Lada says: These vibrant colors remind me a little about the movie PLEASANTVILLE. Remember how in the first part of the movie everything is black and white. And then, when everyone in that world of regimented and obedient life awakens and comes alive, all of a sudden, the entire world turns technicolor.
Lada says: In the old days, the colors for Holi were made out of petals of bright local flowers. The flowers were dried up and then powdered, until they turned into the very fine and colorful dust. The symbolism behind it was wonderful: when you rubbed the flower powder into your skin, you imbued yourself and your dear ones with the beneficial energy and natural essence of that flower, along with its vibrant scent, color and growth. And when you tossed the flower powder in the air or at your friends, you generously shared the abundance and prosperity the flower symbolized with the entire world.
Unfortunately, the colors used today tend to be artificial, so at least some of the benefits of this beautiful ceremony are lost.
Lada says: Along with bright colors, a lot of water is used during the festival. Sometimes, people are doused with whole buckets of water, as shown in the picture below. This is interesting to me. While the vibrant colors symbolize the awakening of nature and the blossoming of flowers, the symbolism of water is undoubtedly this: in the spring, you need to water plants in order for them to grow and deliver abundant crops. If you start the spring right, ushering in this new energy of growth and life, the whole year will be abundant and successful! Beautiful symbolism, if you ask me!
Pranjal says: Traditionally, at dawn of the 2nd day of Holi, the young must greet the Elders. They respectfully apply colours to the Elders and receive Ashirwaad (Blessings) by touching the Elders’ feet.
Pictures below: Son respectfully applying colors to his mother and receiving her blessing.
Pranjal says: The festival ends with same, with which it started: Worship of Lord Krishna’s image. But it starts with Villagers going to NaamGhor to offer prayer. At the end of the 2nd day, the Holly Idol of Krishna goes house to house, where people welcome him with prayer and offerings. This marks the end of the Festival of Holi.
For more on that, read my post:
https://ladaray.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/best-way-to-learn-russian-language/
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I want to thank my guest, Pranjal Borthakur, for sharing his family’s Holi Festival Celebration with my readers.
Wishing everyone a Happy Holi and a wonderful and joyful spring!
Till next time,
Cheers,
Lada Ray
Holly Michael said:
Loved this post, too! Very nice. Lovely photographs. We were pretty close to that area about two years ago. We usually get to India one a year or every other year. When we go, we travel to different areas. I love this part of India best. Brought back memories. Very nice. Thanks for the post! I enjoyed it!!!
Lada Ray said:
Thanks so much, Holly!
Sanjay Das said:
Loved this article..
Myself being an assamese and a student of @pranjalbar, i am quite close to him and even the photographs were quite beautifuly clicked..
Realy feeling proud for sharing this article of HOLI, which brings unity among us and brings the best out of our Assamese people..
Thank you..
ladaray said:
Thank you for your lovely comment, Sanjay! It is very nice to hear from one of Pranjal’s students!
Sanjay Das said:
Thank you ma’am..
It was so special to hear from you..
Thank you..
mgedwards said:
Excellent post, Pranjal! Thanks for posting it, Lada! What an amazing festival. Makes me want to visit India more and more. I can’t wait to see India and hope I will have a chance to experience this festival. Love it!
Lada Ray said:
Thank you so much, Mike! I’ll pass it on to Pranjal! He’ll be very happy!
mgedwards said:
Reblogged this on World Adventurers and commented:
Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors, with Guest Pranjal Borthakur on Lada Ray’s blog
Lada Ray said:
Thanks so much for a reblog!
pranjal borthakur said:
Lada knowledge, beauty and Love Resides in you. You transformed my immotionless words into full of immotions, meaning and cultured. I saw this post many a times, my niece is shouting.. ‘moi moi moi’ it means ‘me, me, me’. I said Lada auntie sent you a gift, in assamese. She uttering ‘Lala autil Lala autil’.. Cos she is not able to speak clearly… If you would have been here, you would have loved the scene here… My fingers are not stopping, they want to write n write to you. Cos no language, no words can express my thanks and happiness to you. I bow my head to you and to your knowledge.. Accept my Regards..
Lada Ray said:
Pranjal, I was very happy to post it and thank you again for generously sharing your family’s celebration with all of us!
P.S. And your little niece stole the show! She is so adorable – you should be very proud!
1EarthUnited said:
Reblogged this on 1earthnow and commented:
Wonderful, thanks so much for your informative blog! Have a Holi Day!
ladaray said:
Thank you so much, Maddy, for a nice comment and the reblog! Holi Day, indeed!
Dibyajyoti said:
Really Loved it from the core of my Heart..
Thanks to madam Lada Ray…
ladaray said:
Thank you, glad you enjoyed!
Ankur das said:
Thanks maam and my dear sir for making me proud to be an indian and too be an assamese through your words and clips..Holi the festival of colour makes people love each and strengthen the bond of unity among us..Unfortunely i missed the outgoing holi but eventhough somehow your blog provide me undefinable and unexpressable happiness..thank you so so much..
ladaray said:
Thank you for your lovely comment!
Pranjal Borthakur said:
Lada my Mother Sitting near me and saying in Assamese to write to you.. “Lada Tumar(your) penot( at your pen) jete Hodai(ever) Saraswati Thakok(Remain) Pariley amar ghorot ahiba, mur ashirwaad tumar loi”. It means: May Maa Saraswati remains on your pen, if possible(pariley) come to(ahiba) our home(amar ghorot), My blessings to you(mur ashirwaad tumar loi)”. (Maa Saraswati is Goddess of Knowledge)… Accept my mother’s love… leave the brackets you will get complete sentence in Assamese..
ladaray said:
Pranjal, many thanks to you and to your Mother for the nice words and a blessing! It means a lot. Tell her, I am sending her lots of love, too!
pranjalbor said:
I told her.. She was happy to Know you and your Reply.. She is sitting by me now. And showing her what i am typing. She is sending you Love and to your family.. She is saying,”Mur morom Loba” it means accept my love.. Bye Lada.
ladaray said:
Pranjal, please thank your Mother for me for her nice words and a blessing. It means a lot! Sending her lots of love, too!
Mrinal said:
Am really happy to find this page – Pranjal my room mate of collegedays and a very dear one has rightly said that mathematics is his religion . I have witnessed his affinity towards the subject more than a decade back .
Wishing him good luck for all his future endavours.
pranjalbor said:
Reblogged this on pranjalborthakur and commented:
Lada You are the person who found me… A stone which was kicked by others.. I don’t know why?How?when?.. But My Ma always shows this to all, who ever comes our home as guest.. You have become integral part of our family. And a Very Special friend of mine. We are very immotional person.. You can say immotional fools.
Prasant Mali said:
As i was discussing with my beloved teacher @pranjalbor about the benefits of social networking, then he showed me this blog… Amazing ma’am…. The festival of colours couldn’t be more beautifully expressed in words than this wondeful potrayal of holi. Thank you ma’am, there is no better way to make people familiar with this wonderful festival which i virtually unheard of in many countries.. India is diverse country. Holi is a festival where whole of India celebrates together. On that day, people from all religions participate and even bitter enemies find a way to colour each other on this magnificent festival.
As a budding writer myself, i thank you for going through all the pains to potray the festival of colours.. Thank you once again, ma’am.
P.S. You may know me from twitter. I am @dantes_4evr..
ladaray said:
Thank you for a heartfelt comment, Prasant!
Eshani Das said:
Amazing post……. Holi is a festival of colors where all people celebrate it with great pomp and show.. Everybody eagerly waits for this day… There is no other way to show the enjoyment of this magnificent and colorful festival… Thanks ma’am for such a wonderful post…… Loved it…!!!!!
ladaray said:
Well said and thanks for a nice comment, Eshani 🙂
David C. Cassidy said:
Lada, thank you for posting this great insight into our good friend, Pranjal. What an amazing man he is, doing such great work for the people in his community. I’m proud to call him my friend. 🙂
Lada Ray said:
Yes, he is! Thanks for stopping by, David 🙂
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Anonymous said:
May d festival of colors of colors bring…….a smile to everyone’s lips… a twinkle in our eyes and cheer in everyones’s voice….
so celebrate the joyous holi with great pomp and show…
excellent post ma’am….!!
Thanks… !! 🙂
Lada Ray said:
Happy you enjoyed it.