Students, the quad get colorful for Holi

A Hindu holiday to welcome spring left the Trojan Center Quad, and also many people walking by, covered in colorful chalk last Wednesday. 

The holiday, called Holi, is known as the “Festival of Colors.” On this day, people throw colored powder all around to welcome spring and celebrate the Hindu god Vishnu’s triumph over evil. 

“We celebrate this for fun but there is a religious aspect as well,” said Shristi, a senior accounting major from Nepal. “There was a demon named Holika, and we’re celebrating the end of evil when our god killed her on this day, so we are just spreading joy like ‘Yay, we killed her!’” 

Traditionally, either on the Eve of Holi or as a part of the festival’s celebrations, there is a massive bonfire burned to further symbolize Vishnu’s defeat of Holika and the triumph over evil. This is called Holika Dahan, but because of the safety concerns that come with large fires, students did not take part in this on Troy’s campus. 

One of the Nepali students celebrating the event highlighted the festival’s creation of community among the divided societies in India and Nepal. 

“There is difference in ethnic groups and different castes in our country, but, in Holi, everyone comes together as a community, and they celebrate with each other so we can bring the happiness to all,” said Sussan, an international student from Nepal. 

A caste is a form of social classification used in countries like India and Nepal that sorts members of society into certain groups upon birth.  

This classification will determine how much social power its people have, their living situation, how wealthy they are and what kind of jobs they can have. It’s a rigid system and moving up or down in caste is not seen often.  

Holi Festival doesn’t just create intranational bonds between castes. Celebrating it here in Troy creates bonds between international and domestic students. 

“I feel like it’s very important to introduce this to a lot of American students as well,” said Sarah Bai, the advisor for International Student Studies. “I feel like a lot of times it’s when we misunderstand each other,that’s when we dislike each other -- just because we don’t know much about each other. 

“Maybe you don’t realize that you’re not that different, and then you see what’s still the same and you love each other and start to be friend with each other.” 

Bai also mentioned the importance of allowing the international students to celebrate their traditions from their home country because it makes them feel less homesick and more welcomed at the University. 

“This is what makes them feel like somebody here cares about them or makes them feel like this is their real home,” Bai said. 

The event also featured snacks commonly found at Holi celebrated in India or Nepal, and the tradition of splashing water on each other as a part of the colorful display created at the festival.