The Asian Student Association hosted its annual Holi celebration on the Chapel Lawn March 13 featuring performances by members of the Bollywood fusion dance club SJU Dhadkan as well as tie-dye crafting activities.
Holi is a Hindu festival that follows the Hindu lunar calendar. The festival typically falls between late February and early March, depending on the full moon during the month of Phalguna — the final month of the Hindu lunar calendar.
Cecilia Nguyen ’26, ASA vice president, said the event was aimed at helping students understand the holiday.
“I think people see [the holiday] on their calendars, and they go, ‘I don’t know what this is,’” Nguyen said. “We hope to educate people when people ask, ‘Hey, what is the event about, specifically?’”
Nguyen added that she uses the word “colorful” to describe Holi to those who are unfamiliar with the festival.
“If you’ve never heard of it, you’ve probably seen pictures of it,” Nguyen said. “The colorful powder splattered everywhere, all around you.”
The festival, which is traditionally celebrated over two days by people of all nationalities and backgrounds, symbolizes new beginnings with the arrival of spring.
The bright colors of spring are mimicked with Holi participants throwing different colored powders at each other, according to Milani Parikh ’28, SJU Dhadkan president.
“The point is to throw bright colors, and that’s kind of symbolic of the bright colors that come with spring,” Parikh said.
The throwing of powder is also often accompanied by music and dancing. Parikh said the performances showcased different dance styles, including bharatanatyam and Bollywood fusion.
“Our last group song is a typical South Indian style of Bollywood dance, so that music is South Indian, and then we also do a little bit of hip hop,” Parikh said.
Arnav Mishra ’28, a member of SJU Dhadkan, said Holi holds religious significance for him.
“It’s about good winning over evil in our religion, and we celebrate it by throwing colors at each other and celebrating harmony.”
Mishra said Holi celebrations also feature people gathering and sharing meals together during the holiday.
“Depend[ing] on where you go, you’re gonna have naan, paneer, many different types of spices, vegetables, breads, all kinds of food all around India,” Mishra said.
The event ended with a bonfire to symbolize a fresh start.
“We have a bonfire at the end, during the night, which symbolizes burning away all the dirty things, all the old things, and welcoming like new harvests and new flowers, trees, new nature,” Parikh said.
