The ritual of forgiving: Holi in Wageningen

Text Marte van der Veen

Dancing to uplifting music in clouds of coloured powder to celebrate the start of spring. The Indian Student Association (ISA) once again organises a Holi festival in Wageningen this year, with an expected record of over two hundred guests.

‘The festival has many different meanings, but is, in essence, a way for people to let go of the bad and invite the good in the new year’, says Khushhaal Khan, marketing manager at ISA. Khan: ‘In many parts of India, the night before the colourful feast, large bonfires are made on town squares. This is called Holi Dahan. Negative feelings are burned in this ritual.’

The next day, the more well-known part of the festival starts. Everyone gathers on the street to play with the gulal, coloured powder, and water. Khan: ‘The paint is made of natural ingredients such as corn starch, talcum or flour. Extracts of turmeric, green leaves or red beets are used to colour the powder. All biodegradable and safe.’

Street festival

Some other Hindu festivals, like Divali, are celebrated with family, while Holi is a large social event. ‘It is like a massive street party, where people (re)connect with those around them.’

The Wageningen version of this party will, of course, be less ‘massive’ and will also include some Dutch elements. Khan: ‘We have ordered plenty of coloured powder to spray each other with, but we will also play games such as tug of war and typical Dutch games such as ‘zaklopen’ and ‘koekhappen’. We have arranged a DJ to play a nice mix of Holi music, Bollywood and fusion. And we will even play with water balloons!’

Forgiving

At ISA’s Divali celebration, another Hindu celebration, more than 400 people showed up, of which about 50 per cent were not Indian. Khan: ‘We experience that people tend to connect with the open, spiritual space we create. Every religion is trying to make you a better person than you were before and to be forgiving to yourself. Holi does the same; you burn the negatives within yourself and move on to a new year. This meaning resonates with many people.’

Welcome

The Holi festival is not just for ISA members. Everyone is welcome (as is the case for all their activities). Khan: ‘So whoever wants to be part of Holi for whatever reason is welcome to join!’

Holi in Wageningen
The Wageningen version of the Holi festival will take place on the 23rd of March from 10am to 1pm at sports centre De Bongerd, field D. The entry fee is 6 euros. You can sign up through this link.

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Limelight

In the picture: Ceres Lustrum