Holi. Festival of Colors. 2011

"caste, color, race, sex, or social status; all these petty differences are temporarily relegated to the background and people give into an unalloyed colorful rebellion." -Subhamoy Das

last year i stayed outside amidst the crowds at the festival, I had fun. Delighted in the new, unusual experience. got colored, crowd surfed, chanted.

This year I went inside. I heard music seeping down from upstairs so I took my shoes off, and climbed up to the lotus adorned temple room.  The kirtan band consisted of a man and his daughter (that I met when I stayed at the temple for a retreat) and a few other men. They had kartals, a harmonium, drums, and a guitar. Sanskrit Mantras were repeated, harmoniously swelling and building off each other. raw, soulful, and overwhelming. I would sit rocking back and forth the sound filling me and all around me, taking over. We'd dance and dance, almost a child like dance, no tinge of provocativeness, none of what the world has begun to constrict dancing to. the marble floor had my bare feet aching by the time we stopped. I'd sing and chant until my voice had nothing left in it. I felt unbelievably happy there, and part of something good.  At one point the band came out on the floor and joined in the dancing. Someone held the microphone to my mouth and I led the chant :) The crowd inside was large enough to make it wild, but small enough to make it intimate. the guitar playing was intricate and beautiful, voices harmonizing, harmonica weaving, it all left me in awe. Live music is incomparable to speakers playing a recording, you can physically feel it. The atmosphere it creates moves you differently. I wondered the meaning of the words I chanted so I did some research.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare 

is the mantra you'll commonly hear at the festival

 and it means

"O lord, take away all my sorrows, pains and shortcomings and give me bliss and joy"

 
we all come from different backgrounds, and for one day
we have the same coloring

move and dance together

and repeat the same universal prayer.
i like that 

 also, read this article

i liked this line from it-

"this festival is about nothing other than enhancing your relationship with God and enhancing your relationship with other human beings"