Post from Tim:
The owner of our guesthouse smeared my face with the first streaks of color - two palms of bright red gulal powder right across both cheeks accompanied by a cheerful, "Happy Holi!" It was a good start to the festival of colors, the Indian holiday that marks the end of winter and commemorates a legend from Hindu mythology.
It wasn't long before the craziness of the streets called me outside of the security of our guesthouse. The once impressive Jaisalmer fort, with its golden stone walls, intricate details, and rich history, was now covered in the whimsical colors of Holi. My white clothes soon looked the same - with brilliant blotches of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Three adults blessed my face with three new colors and cheers of "Happy Holi!" Mobs of hyperactive kids in the street just blasted me with squirt guns full of colored water.
After passing through a gauntlet of colored festival-goers guarding the fort gates, I arrived to the market and bought two packages gulal powder to throw back at people. An Indian man called for me to follow him through the old part of town. I followed along with a British guy and the real fun began.
Through twisting narrow roads, outstretched palms grabbed my cheeks and spread silver paint across the several colors that already blessed my face. Similar hands spread additional layers of green, red, orange, and yellow. Two hand fulls of green powder thrown by a purple man blossom into a huge cloud that filled the street and rained down on top of us. Buckets of purple and red water rained down on my head. Water balloons burst on my back. Rambunctious children tried to stick gulal in my ears, nose, and eyes and steal my bag of powder.
The wash of water blended the dye, leaving every square inch of my skin and clothes a murky mess and making me look like a red grape. My face was visibly purple, silver, and green, although other colors would no doubt be seen a few layers down. My matted red hair was shellacked to my head, my teeth were green, and my ears and nose were full of powder. And I would do it all again if given the choice.
I will be back home on the next full moon of March, so don't be surprised to be hit with a bag of red powder and an enthusiastic greeting.
"Happy Holi!"
It wasn't long before the craziness of the streets called me outside of the security of our guesthouse. The once impressive Jaisalmer fort, with its golden stone walls, intricate details, and rich history, was now covered in the whimsical colors of Holi. My white clothes soon looked the same - with brilliant blotches of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Three adults blessed my face with three new colors and cheers of "Happy Holi!" Mobs of hyperactive kids in the street just blasted me with squirt guns full of colored water.
After passing through a gauntlet of colored festival-goers guarding the fort gates, I arrived to the market and bought two packages gulal powder to throw back at people. An Indian man called for me to follow him through the old part of town. I followed along with a British guy and the real fun began.Through twisting narrow roads, outstretched palms grabbed my cheeks and spread silver paint across the several colors that already blessed my face. Similar hands spread additional layers of green, red, orange, and yellow. Two hand fulls of green powder thrown by a purple man blossom into a huge cloud that filled the street and rained down on top of us. Buckets of purple and red water rained down on my head. Water balloons burst on my back. Rambunctious children tried to stick gulal in my ears, nose, and eyes and steal my bag of powder.
The wash of water blended the dye, leaving every square inch of my skin and clothes a murky mess and making me look like a red grape. My face was visibly purple, silver, and green, although other colors would no doubt be seen a few layers down. My matted red hair was shellacked to my head, my teeth were green, and my ears and nose were full of powder. And I would do it all again if given the choice.I will be back home on the next full moon of March, so don't be surprised to be hit with a bag of red powder and an enthusiastic greeting.
"Happy Holi!"
Photos From This Location
