Covered in colored powder and drenched in water, students welcomed the arrival of spring with Holi, a traditional Indian celebration.
According to Tejas Patel, treasurer of the Hindu Student Council and vice president of Delta Epsilon Psi fraternity, Holi is both a religious and cultural holiday.
“It is a traditional Hindu holiday that celebrates both the changing of the seasons as well as the triumph of good over evil according to a Hindu myth,” said Patel, a sophomore majoring in biology. “Most importantly, though, it celebrates our friendships and promotes unity which is one of the reasons why I loved bringing Holi back for a second year.”
This year’s Holi festival, which took place Saturday at 1 p.m. in the CIW co-rec field, was larger than last year’s. According to Patel, around 200 attendees celebrated with 130 pounds of colored powder and 3,000 water balloons.
“Last year there were 50 to 70 participants back in the Hinman Quad,” Patel said. “The Hindu Students Council teamed up with Delta Epsilon Psi and with the combined efforts and budget of two groups, we were able to offer more.”
Attendees enjoyed traditional Indian food made by Sodexo, including mango lassi, chutney sandwiches and samosas that were served before the event. Some students said they felt that celebrating Holi at Binghamton brought a sense of being home to campus.
“Holi is important to us because it’s a way for us to reconnect with our culture,” said Priya Chavan, vice president of the Hindu Student Council and a junior majoring in biology. “We have a decent amount of Indians here, but it’s really nice to spread our culture with other ethnicities.”
This year’s festivities included four rounds of a game that incorporated throwing colored powder at people, and once the game was over, students used the leftover powder and water balloons in a free-for-all round to use up the extra supplies.
“It was so worth the two dollars,” said Maricruz Orozco, a junior majoring in anthropology. “I had so much fun and I don’t know if they do this every year but if they do, I think I am going to come.”
The Hindu Student Council and Delta Epsilon Psi collectively organized and funded this year’s Holi event. They asked each participant for a $2 donation, which went towards the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Delta Epsilon’s Psi’s primary national philanthropy.
Shilp Dalal, president of the Hindu Student Council and a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, was pleased with this year’s ceremony.
“I really enjoyed putting together this great event with my E-Board as well as the great brothers of Delta Epsilon Psi,” said Dalal. “I hope that we can do it even bigger next year.”