Greetings from sunny Rishikesh on Holi. Truth be told, I wasn't getting involved. Those colours have some nasty chemicals in them and - well, I have DONE Holi. The thought of watching from a distance was appealing, safely up 3 flights of stairs with an assurance from the hotel staff that we were protected from the action. Plus, there was a SIGN that said we would be safe from outsiders. So, the first two hours was lovely. I could take photos from the street, where colours were smooshed, splattered and lovingly smoothed over skin, trousers, shirts and shoes.
And oh, the smiles. Lots of smiles and shouts of HAPPY HOLI HAPPY HOLI. I have not seen a world explode in smiles so much as I have today, especially in this time of paranoia and fear. Indian, German, Israeli, Aussie, Dutch - no matter. Smiles and colour were yours, on this Holi-est of hilarious days.
This girl was locked and LOADED. She will sleep well tonight. Armed with a water pistol of paint attached to a backpack of refill, she was squealing with delight as she aimed at all and sundry, and when the water hose came out across the road at the corner shop, she took charge of that too.
The boys on the rooftop diagonally to our left were thankfully out of range as their aim was good. They had been practicing throwing water bombs for days. Whilst many were kinder with their targets, they were indiscrimate, as an old American woman discovered as she shook her walking stick at them and shouted, only to be splattered green and blue. Why one would wear white and walk the streets on Holi and expect to be unscathed, I do not know.
By the end of the day, even the cows and dogs were covered in paint.
And yes, so were we. The hotel staff had grabbed a hose and buckets and were spraying people underneath that tried to run the gauntlet. Still, we were okay, although I did put my camera away in case. And then, an army of Indian girls came raging up the stairs, a war cry of HOLI HOLI HOLI bouncing from the walls. There was nothing to do but give in. We became soaked with water and besplattered with paint amd giggles as we joined in cranking our hosts with buckets of water thrown when their back was turned.
Absolute hilarity. Now, the restaurants are open again and it is business as usual, but everyone is still grinning and covered in smiles and paint.
Happy Holi, whatever that might mean to you. Right now to me it means may your hearts and souls and smiles be full of colours, as ours are right now.
@naturalmedicine II Discord Invite II #naturalmedicine