I’ll bet you that a dash of colored powder to the face isn’t how you’d usually start your Saturday afternoon.
But as the 9-year old perpetrator gleefully scampers away, you can’t help but smile at what just happened.
The truth is, this really isn’t your usual Saturday afternoon — not by any measure. It’s (belatedly) Holi, the Indian festival of love, affection, and permanently tie-dyed clothes (no kidding).
And it’s incredibly fun. The proceedings begin around 12:00PM at the rotunda in city hall, where stands a happy crowd of parents and children — happy in spite of the persistent frost outside.
The atmosphere inside is, in a word, jubilant. All around the room, there’s laughter and the excited banter of friends new and old, almost accentuated by the shrieks and squeals of young kids. “So good to see you” is the slogan around these parts, and it can be heard in new strength each time the door opens.
All in all, it makes you feel at home –.like you’re at a family gathering with people you’ve known and shared joy with all your life.
And that, that warm familial feeling, is the point, according to the event’s principal organizer, Ms. Rakashi Chand.
Rakashi has lived in Newton since 2011 and has served as both president and vice-president of the United India Association of New England. Today, she’s thankful to the community for today’s celebrations.
“This wonderful event, which symbolizes community and togetherness, was actually communally organized, and many people made this possible,” she says, “thank you all, and Happy Holi!
That last part received thunderous applause, not least of which was from Mayor Fuller, who is definitely on the list of thank-yous.
One microphone transition later, the Mayor says a few words: “While the weather was not too kind for us, it is still the festival of spring and warmth. I’m glad to be mayor of a tradition-oriented city, glad to bring color and happiness to the city, and grateful for the color-”
At this point, the celebratory Holi music is accidentally turned on. “And the music”, adds the Mayor, to general delight. There are a few more speeches to be heard, the first given by some of Newton’s youths — starting with Rishi Prabhu, a freshman at Newton North High School.
He briefly explains what this festival is all about. “Known as the festival of color, Holi symbolizes the triumph of good over evil,” he says, “and the name is actually derived from the Hindi word for good harvest.”
Ms. Sangeet Srikanth, a chemistry teacher at Newton North, takes it from there and really highlights the familial aspect of things.
“During Holi,” she says, “the variety of colors being thrown up into the air become one, just like people who are joyfully brought together.”
Before moving to Newton in 2002, Sangeet recalled celebrating Holi with her family and neighbors in big gatherings in India, with a real bond being made by everybody there.
That’s the power of Holi — the power of connection. And on this particular Holi, women everywhere are to be connected with, as this particular Holi shares the date with International Women’s Day.
At this, Newton North sophomore Sarina Chand – emcee for the afternoon along with Ria Chudasma — has a few remarks. “Today is a day of triumph, and a day for us all to celebrate the achievements of women. We see echoes of this celebration and triumph in the laughter – from children and parents to the female CEOs.”
This is in no small thanks, Sarina says, to the first female Mayor of Newton, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller.
But really, the awful fun we’re having is the fault of the people of Newton. Terrible as it is, it’s democratic, and, in the words of school committee member Rajeev Parlikar, multicultural.
“It’s great that we have a very supportive community that can come together to form events like this,” he says, “and it’s important, to keep up this support, that we interact and engage with each other.”
After that, it’s just dancing by the younger attendees, and then color play!
The dances are wonderful. Up first are two students of the Vidyanjali School of Dance who perform a beautifully choreographed, traditional Hindu dance.
To a layman, it almost resembles a young couple — fighting at first, with foot-stamping, crossing of arms and much mock pouting, but then reconciling, with perfectly synchronized movements. In all, the effect embodies the idea of mending ties that’s so crucial to Holi.
Next is a more modern Indian pop number, performed by members of SASA, the South Asian Student Association, a joint Newton North-South affair. It’s lively and fun, and evolves into an exciting solo by Rishi that has the crowd riveted.
In just a few short moments, colored powder will be everywhere. With the dances ended and everyone converged outside, the consummation can finally begin, as arguably the most important (and most fun) part of Holi comes into play.
Men launch the colored powder at women, kids scatter it behind them as they run around, and the little bursts of colored smoke and laughter together make pure, loveable chaos.
“It’s shared happiness like this that makes life worth living,” says Ms. Sindu Sao, who’s visiting from Natick. “The joy is infectious.”
Covered head to toe myself in green and blue paint, I’m rather inclined to agree.
Andrey Sarkanich is a sophomore at Newton North High School.
