3.25.2008

holi: spring arrives in india



The Inimitable Persephone of What Possessed Me and Sarah the Intrepid of Passementerie are two of my most favoritest, most fantacularly well-traveled blogging comrades.




Sarah is journeying through India right now - having recently overcome a combination of formidable in-country lodging and weather and physiological challenges. Follow her here. The other day, Sarah got me thinking more about Holi, India's festival of color, when she left this comment on another post:

...we arrived here in Varanasi on Holi which is the celebration of springtime (as far as I can gather) and the city is still liberally daubed in pink, blue and green dye, even some of the goats are brightly coloured!




Holi is the Hindu festival which celebrates the time when Krishna paid amorous attention to young women tending cows by spraying colored water over them. (Interesting.) Holi occurs each year, the day after the full moon in early March. Holi and Divali (the Festival of Light which occurs in October or November) are India’s most celebrated holidays.




I've just noticed that P very recently posted some remembrances of travels past, here. She trekked to a friend's wedding in Mumbai earlier this year - go here for a sample of some sublime visual treats. You can also screen P's slideshows from the expedition to India as well as her solo backpacking tour of northern and eastern Ethiopia here. Wondrous gorgeousness.




The images on this post serve as double homage: to those who literally fulfill the promise of Oh, The Places You'll Go! (and who possess the skill and desire to share their stories with the rest of us) - as well as to the intriguing, exuberant traditions of a beautiful land.







This painting (above) depicts the Indian deity, Krishna, celebrating Holi with Radha and the Gopis (great name for a Hindi jazz-rock fusion band, don't you think?).








:flickr

9 comments:

P said...

Oh my - I am very, very touched. Thank you so much, Diana, my talented and inventive blogging sister.

These are SUCH beautiful images. Leave it to India to have a holiday celebrating color.

blah said...

Yes, I would have t agre, Passementerie is one of my favorite travelling bloglettes too :-)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. Kind. Interesting. Perfect. The usual for you.

I love both of the blogs you mention. But as a non-blogger myself, I hesitate to comment. I enjoy seeing all of this from your vantage point. -Em

Jen said...

What beautiful, beautiful photos.

Anonymous said...

Oh thank you so very much, adorable you! Like P. (another favourite blogger of mine) I am very touched indeed, and thank you for posting such fabulous pictures!

We were on a train for the day itself and only arrived in Varanasi for the aftermath, having missed most of the fun, alas.

Jane Flanagan said...

Such colours! Beautiful!

Elizabeth said...

Such colors!
The Indian pictures are delicious.
Also your flower pictures.
Yes, I'm jealous of Sarah in India.
We are off back to Marrakech very soon.
India beckons..........

Maryam in Marrakesh said...

Oh yes, I love both these girls and, sigh, I love India. I lived in Nepal for years but India was part of my beat for my work.

Luisa Perkins said...

I've been intrigued by the idea of Holi ever since I read A Suitable Boy. A friend who lives nearby has a Holi party every year, but I'd love to travel to the source someday.