Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Happy Holi/Delhi/India



For weeks bright colored powders have been for sale in the markets for the celebration of Holi - a wonderfully fun holiday where everyone gets decorated/ smeared/ sprayed. Yesterday we saw a powder decoration on the street in Agra.


Today, as we entered Delhi, even the man taking the road toll was getting into the spirit of the festival.


It starts off rather slowly. Each person puts a little powder on your forehead and then you return the compliment.  Here's Robert with Ranash and his wife and daughters with the first color. Then come more colors........and more people


and the color gets tousled into people's hair and the kids get out their squirt guns. Some people's faces turn entirely blue, or red or yellow...............


In fact all generations get in on the fun............
Apparently, in the late evening it gets very wild indeed. 

16 comments:

  1. Lovely taste of India - wow do they go mad with that powder.

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  2. How sad is it that my first reaction is: Does it wash out of hair/clothes easily?

    LOL ..

    I suspect its good fun .. for those without issues ..

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  3. wow..that was fun, Happy Holi :D

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  4. Aww.. I miss Holi. I grew up in Delhi, and we used to have so much fun. The pichkari's (the water guns) were awesome.
    And yeah, the color comes off. It depends on the quality of the colors purchased. Sometimes, it takes couple of weeks to come off.

    Happy Holi.

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  5. delightful! do you think this would work in nyc? wouldn't you love to see it!

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  6. I feel like I’m on vacation with you! Your photos are so fun. Did you powder up yourself?

    I love the bright palette in your India shots. Gorgeous puppets, flowers and architecture below. I’m impressed that you found a way not only to blog but to upload photos while traveling. Your extra effort is well appreciated.

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  7. How utterly magical - I've not been able to keep up my daily visits to your blog recently, but I'm back now and delighting in my catch-up time! I just knew we'd be treated to a series of superb photographs and succint observations - and how right I was. Glorious, Elizabeth, absolutely glorious!

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  8. Wow! The fourth pic down is really special! Fun to see Robert's smiling face. Looks like a happy, colorful holiday!

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  9. Wow...what a fun celebration! Happy colors indeed. Any more photos of Robert...perhaps...with several more colors... ;)

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  10. You are certainly enjoying a very colorful adventure!

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  11. The Trinidadians have a similar custom during J'ouvert, but they use mud and paint! I think that these colourful powders are much nicer. (Lovely warm faces in these photos, E.)

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  12. Happy Holi. Enjoy the colours of life!

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  13. Oh I love Holi! I have never actually experienced it but have read about it, imagined it and seen some great youtube videos of it. It is such a wonderful idea!

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  14. I love the pictures of the family. The little boy is so cute

    Kristin

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I look forward to hearing from you!