Monday, February 22, 2010

Festival of Colors

The big topic of today's lunchroom conversation revolved around Holi, the Festival of Colors. Since it falls on Monday this year, there was lots of talk on where people were going to "play" Holi...or where people were going to escape it. Holi is quite big in northern India; in the Braj region, people celebrate for up to sixteen days!

The day is celebrated by everyone throwing colored powder and colored water at each other. It's celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month. Some say the color represents the advent of spring and the end of winter. One of my favorite explanations: "Holi is the festival of radiance in the universe."

I laugh every time I think about Holi last year. There I am, sitting innocently at my desk at work, when three of my colleagues rush into my office to throw colored powder on me! As I run to the other side of our office with them closely behind, I get great advice from our Director of Projects: "Once you stop resisting, you'll have a lot more fun." (good advice for Holi, as well as real life!!)

Of course, Holi or not, there's still work to be done. My favorite scene is passing our conference room and finding staff members there, hard at work and engaged in quite a serious debate -- with their faces and hair covered in blue, purple, and yellow!!

The next day, my friends and I randomly find ourselves on literally the set of a Telugu movie, which was set to be torn down the next day... but not before it becomes the backdrop of a pretty intense Holi party!

Some pictures below commemorating last year's Festival of Colors:

A lot of work and a bit of play! All in preparation for...

... the following day of festivities!





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