To celebrate the beginning of Spring, the Troy University community is invited to attend Holi, an Indian Festival of Colors, on Wednesday, March 12 at 3 p.m.

Sponsored by the Indian Student Association (ISA), International Programs and the International Student Cultural Association (ISCO), students are encouraged to wear white t-shirts and “let the colors do the magic.” The festival will also feature music, dancing, snacks and beverages.

“Holi is a cultural celebration that gives us an opportunity to have fun banter with people by throwing colored water and powder at each other,” said Neha Naik Dalal, Troy University Marketing and Communication Web Coordinator and ISA advisor. “It is a time to enjoy Spring’s abundant colors and say farewell to winter. It is also an invocation for a good spring harvest season.” 

Holi lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (full moon day), and falling on the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which lands around the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar.

Holi originated and is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent, but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora, Dalal said. In the Braj region of India, where the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated until Rang Panchmi in commemoration of their divine love for each other. 

“In his youth, Krishna despaired whether the fair-skinned Radha would like him because of his dark skin color. His mother, Yashoda, tired of his desperation, asks him to approach Radha and ask her to color his face in any color she wanted,” she said. “Radha did, and they became a couple. Ever since, the playful coloring of Radha and Krishna’s faces has been commemorated as Holi.

“Beyond India, these legends help to explain the significance of Holi (Phagwah), which is common in some Caribbean communities of Indian origin like Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. It is also celebrated with great fervor in Mauritius, Fiji and South Africa.”

Events will be held on the TC Quad and are free to attend.