Holi Fun

If you are friends with Jonah or me on Facebook, you have already seen the photos. Today was Holi (pronounced "holy"), one of the most festive days on the calendar here.  Like most holidays back in the USA, few people know exactly why Holi is celebrated the way that it is. In short, it involves three key activities:  1.) wearing white, 2.) dousing friends, family members, and any passersby with colored powder, and 3.) a city-wide waterfight. And, like most major holidays in India, there is a slight element of fear. We had been warned that there would be groping riff-raff high on marijuana lassis roaming the streets. And we did interact with a few small groups of revelers during our ten minute walk to the Malcha Marg neighborhood (where colleagues hosted parties in two locations - one for breakfast and Holi shenanigans, and the other for picnic lunch), but it was all in good fun.  Everyone we encountered today just wanted everyone else to have a Happy Holi. We sure did.

With all the water flying and fun to be had, I did not take many photos. But click HERE to see the pictures I did take of our first Holi.

And if, by chance, you are considering a visit to New Delhi, Holi 2012 will be on March 8th.  If you can't get here or can't wait that long, we'll be glad to bring water blasters and colored powder to a backyard barbecue near you.  Just 74 days until we land in Boston!