Our Bureau
Elon, NC
This year’s 13th Holi celebration at Elon University took a slightly different form. Students, teachers, and staff filled the air with marigolds and beautiful flower petals rather than throwing bright paint powders.
An educational presentation kicked off the evening, which was followed by student thoughts and anecdotes and a performance by Elon’s Bollywood dance team, Surtal. After a lively countdown, attendees joyfully flung handfuls of brightly colored petals into the air inside the sacred space of the Numen Lumen Pavilion.
Holi celebrations have been held on campus for 13 years by the Truitt Center, which shares the wisdom of the world’s religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions with the Elon community. Curating genuine and instructive celebrations of international holidays like Holi and continuing to modify these festivals to accommodate the demands of the expanding and more varied college community are both aspects of the center’s goal.
Participants constructed bright Rangoli designs, colored mandalas and bookmarks, made paper marigolds, received mehndi (henna) decorations from student volunteers, flew colorful kites on PBK Commons, and savored traditional Indian candies and delectable snacks in addition to the joyous petal toss.
“Although it is not the Holi everyone expected, I am so happy with how it turned out,” shared intern Ahron Frankel, who is also a member of the campus Hindu community. “Despite big changes and new traditions, it was a joy to meaningfully educate the Elon community about Holi. Despite us being in the minority here at Elon, it always makes me incredibly proud to see how eager people are to learn and celebrate. Seeing everyone come together was so fulfilling!”
Due to an uncertain weather prediction, Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, was held indoors at the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. For the 125 attendees and the multifaith interns who assisted in planning the celebration, the event held on April 25 remained enjoyable and profoundly meaningful.
“’One wonderful thing about our multifaith festival series is that there’s always an opportunity to learn something new,” said Hillary Zaken, director of Multifaith Programming and Engagement at the Truitt Center. Zaken added, “I learned about a tradition I hadn’t encountered before: Phoolon ki Holi, or Holi with flowers. It’s a vibrant celebration held a few days before the main Holi festival, where people shower one another with flower petals instead of colored powder. Like the powder, the flowers symbolize love, joy, and the arrival of spring.”
The attendees enjoyed the event feeling enhanced by the educational experience and prepared to carry the Holi energy into the upcoming weekend along with hands decorated with henna, and with flower petals in their hair.
