My Indian Travels Day 2 – The Day of Holi
What is Holi? It is a Hindu spring festival
Indian music is annoying in two ways: it is definitely annoying and also it’s annoying that you like it!
Jackson Pollock would have had a field day today: paint everywhere…..vivid orange, red, purple, green, yellow and blue! All due to the fact it’s the festival of Holi and the Indians celebrate by throwing paint (powdered) at each other (and unsuspecting tourists). Holi is an ancient Hindu festival which signifies the victory of good over evil and when people celebrate the beginning of spring, play and laugh, forgive and forget AND chuck paint at each other! Anyone is fair game; no one is safe from this crazy paint throwing!
At the beginning of the day, we did not fancy going out and risking it, so we thought we would just play it safe and simply go into the hotel reception to use the computer…and then I found the security guard coming towards me up the stairs giggling then he chucked a load of paint at us!
After that, we thought this could be fun – let’s go out and have some more of this!! We decided to go to India Gate. Sure enough, we were attacked again. Everyone was laughing and having a really good time. Now we were getting more of a multi-coloured look. We then walked to Connaught Place (the main financial and business centre in Delhi) On the way, we were approached by a man with a basket who then sat down in front of us, lifted the lid on the basket to reveal a cobra in full strike mode. The guy asked me to hold the basket and then put a very small pathetic-looking snake around Dad’s neck. We asked a passing soldier (!) to take some photos.
In Connaught Place, a couple arrived in Tuck-Tuck and their daughter came over and gave Dad a real dusting of bright yellow and red on the side of his head. Children were getting involved in Holi in a big way – often throwing balloon water bombs and then hiding behind a wall and giggling and we kept getting hit by water balloons thrown by children. Then we eventually found our way back to the hotel and slept for the rest of the day!
On a more serious note, there is a sad reality in Delhi. There is such a large difference between the affluent and struggling areas of Delhi. The Connaught Place area actually had litter bins, zebra crossings, traffic lights. All nice and green – and no sign of cows!
Anyway, I am going to sleep now, I am absolutely whacked and need to be on top form tomorrow as I am meeting Aspiration International who are picking me up at 10a.m.
To read about what happen to us on our first day when we arrived in India, which was all about a scam, our tuck-tuck ride and the best meal ever or read about our next day when I meet my first fair trade organisation – the day of the fair experience.
