Exoanians Celebrate Holi Festival

Clouds of color exploded as Exonians chased each other with powder to the beat of Bollywood music.  Clean white shirts quickly turned into a swirl of coalescing shades—red, blue, green, pink—while water guns shot streams of cold, clear water that elicited screams from shivering runners. Over the course of an hour, the mundane Wetherall quad morphed into a center of celebration, color and fun. This was no ordinary game: PEA students gathered this Sunday to celebrate the religious Hindu holiday of Holi, popularly known as the “festival of colors.”

Holi, a holiday originating from the Indian subcontinent, celebrates the arrival of spring and the joyful emotions that come with it, according to senior and Subcontinent Society co-head Araish Paul. “The colors involved represent the blooming. It’s a fun event where you get to come outside after a long winter and spend time with other people,” he said.

In the places where Holi is traditionally celebrated, this year’s Holi took place on March 20. The date varies slightly every year, since Holi follows the lunar Vikram Samvat calendar. However, due to the unpredictable weather patterns of New England, Exeter has always held its celebrations in early May.

Holi at Exeter has become a tradition of its own, anticipated by students since the advent of spring. Each year, Exonians flood the quad in white t-shirts to throw powder dye and spray water on each other. Senior and head of Hindu Society Pavan Garidipuri commented on the tradition of wearing white shirts. “People wear white just so you can see the colors on the t-shirt, but it’s not traditionally necessary,” he said.

Garidipuri also commented on the safety of the dyes used, saying, “The colors are a non-toxic dye powder that are pretty easily removable, and the colors are associated with spring.” He joked, “We use the water to make everything more fun. It’s barbaric in nature, but it’s really fun.”

Lower Isa Matsubayashi said she found the hectic energy of the event refreshing. “The mess was what made it fun,” she said. “Throwing colors and shooting water at each other was stress relief.”

Upper Helen Xiu, meanwhile, appreciated the one-of-a-kind, carefree experience of participating in Holi. “Holi is fun because it gives me the opportunity to spend time with my friends in a new way,” Xiu said. “We’re just trying to soak each other with water and throw colored powder at one another, but it’s a unique experience and puts a smile on our faces. It gives us a chance to tap into our playful sides.”

Senior Alan Xie said he thoroughly appreciated his last Holi celebration on campus, an event that has grown to be an annual Exeter tradition for him. “I really enjoy Holi because I have been going every year since I got here as a new lower,” he said. “It’s a nice thing to do on a Sunday and let loose a bit.”