By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
Tonight, all the colors of the rainbow filled the sky above Fountain Mall in a powdery array as the Baylor Indian Subcontinent Student Association (ISSA) held their annual Festival of Colors — Holi.
Here, students gathered to veggie samosas, drink Frooti and toss Holi powder at each other as the sun set in a golden beam behind the Rosenbalm Fountain. According to one of the social chairs for ISSA, Dallas sophomore Julia Joseph, this celebration of the arrival of spring, love and new life has been celebrated at Baylor since the 1990s. However, the tradition itself is age-old.
“Indian traditions are some of the oldest in the world,” Joseph said. “The fact that we were able to start it at a predominantly white university from such an early time shows how strongly our culture comes through.”
Joseph said Holi is relatively new to her life, as she celebrated the festival for the first time only a few years ago.
“I feel like getting to see it firsthand, like for the first time years ago, was always very beautiful to me” Joseph said.
Dallas sophomore Abigail Thomas, another social chair for ISSA, said the many colors of the powder thrown have different meanings. For instance, red symbolizes fertility, blue represents the Hindu god Krishna and green depicts new beginnings.
“I think Indian culture itself is so colorful,” Thomas said.
The event began with Bollywood remixes blasting from a speaker, the serving of hot veggie samosas and chutney sauce and the sipping of Frooti, a mango-flavored drink sold in India. Thomas described it as the “Capri-Suns for Indian kids” — both nostalgic and sweet.
As golden hour took over, the powder-throwing began. Students wore white to preserve the multicolor splotches left by the powder residue and dashed around Fountain Mall trying to nab their friends with the dust, laughing and shrieking as they ran. The Holi powder covered clothes, skin, hair and even teeth. No one was safe from the colorful bombardment.
While Holi is at its roots an Indian festival, Thomas said Baylor’s take on the event is meant for anyone who wants to participate. She said she hopes to share this experience with those who may not have ever celebrated Holi before.
“This is probably one of our bigger events, because it’s not just the Indian community, but it’s also people who aren’t familiar with the culture,” Thomas said. “I think it really brings people together, especially at Baylor.”
In light of events like Holi, Thomas encouraged Baylor students to engage in more cultural appreciation.
“This doesn’t have to end here,” she said. “As our community comes together, with us having these opportunities, it is showing everyone that our cultures can intertwine.”
- Joseph and Thomas said the university can look forward to other ISSA events this semester, such as Gateway to India on March 29. They encourage students to follow ISSA on Instagram for more updates and events.
