Deeeeeeeply Satisfying...

Last Saturday, I went (with a group of friends) to the Holi Festival of Colors at the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah.

The story (taken from the back of a bag of colored powder) goes like this:

The Festival is named after Holika, an evil witch who had received a benediction of not being

 burned by fire. She misused this boon to burn babies while walking into fires. 

Once she made the mistake of trying this with a 5 year old boy, Prahlad, 

who always chanted the names of God,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

On this occasion the Lord protected his devotee who walked out of the fire

 while Holika was consumed. This explains the fire element...

The colors...

Around 5,000 years ago, while Lord Krishna was on the planet, he observed the coming of spring

by throwing ground up powdered flower petals between him and his devotees. We follow

his footsteps, but being unable to afford flowers, the colors are composed of 

corn starch, organic dyes, and scent.

The color, noise and entertainment that accompanies the celebration of Holi bears witness to

a feeling of oneness and sense of brotherhood. The festival brings home the lesson of

spiritual and social harmony!

So. Towards the end of March each year, people gather at the Hindu temple to throw colored powder at each other. (That really is the gist of it, if you're not Hindu. And believe me, most of us were Mormon. For reals.)

Keri, Jill, Allison and I met up with a handful of friends to join in the festivities. We all wore white shirts (to really canvass the brightly colored cornstarch), purchased several bags of the delightfully bright hues, and away we went!

Let it be said, on the record, that throwing a handful of colored powder (on friends and strangers alike!) is DEEPLY SATISFYING!

Also. I believe that everybody becomes attractive when they're covered in the "gulal." (Maybe it's because it's slightly scented, and the powder affects your brain? Not sure, but I stand by my claim!)

The proof is in the pictures, I suppose. (Warning: there are a LOT!)

part of the crew: me, lisa, keri, jill, bill (the tall one in the back),
jason, lisa, allison, cameron and chanelle

Beth and Bethany

Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple

Colorful Keri

Colorful Jill

I really love the way the colors fell on Cameron!

Allison!!! (Everybody went crazy with orange on her face!)

HANDS!

FEET

Jason (getting color slapped on him by Lisa, I believe)

Every two hours, they read the story of Holika, count down, and everybody releases their colors.
This one happened at 3:00pm

Here I am dropping color onto Keri from above...

Sunglasses protected my eyes. (Hooray for sunglasses!)

Me and my good pal Bethany
(pretty sure I have powder on my teeth)

"jazz hands"

Lisa and Jason

Cameron, carefully applying color (probably orange) to Alli's face...

Keri and Jill (after the 3:00 release of colors)

For some reason, the pink really excited me?

Don't ask me what's up with my face. I. Don't. Know.

Sassypants Beth

I wasn't present when the picture was taken, but it looks like it could be Zumba...

This was taken right before we left.
I pulled up my sleeves to show my "clean skin."
We didn't get a shower till we got back to Idaho that night (after 10pm)

 So. Yeah. I had a very enjoyable time at the Holi Festival of Colors (2012). I may just have to go again next year...