The Indian holiday Holi happened on March 18, but the festival will be happening here this Sunday, May 1. The Louisville Hindi School and Beta Clubs of Louisville High Schools are presenting their Holy Mela 2022 celebration this Sunday. The event will run from noon to 5 p.m. at 4213 Accomack Dr. in Louisville.
The event will commemorate Holi, the festival of colors that commemorates the triumph of good over evil. The themes and mythology behind the event certainly goes deeper. According to Britannica.com, “On this one day—the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Phalguna—societal rankings such as caste, gender, age, and status are eschewed in the spirit of making merry together, and everyone is fair game to be doused with color.”
The traditions of the Holi holiday vary through the nation of India and are rooted in the legends and religious traditions. In many places the festival is closely tied to the legend of Hiranyakashipu, a demon king of ancient India. Apparently, being the demon that he was, he asked his sister, Holika to help him kill his son Prahlada who worshiped the god Vishnu. They attempted to burn Prahlada but Holika was burned instead and Vishnu ended up killing Hiranyakashipu.
In other parts of India, the festival centers on Krishna and Radha which tells the story of Krishna who was blue and fell in love with the fair skinned Radha… love with a dose of colorism.
The color powder celebration that Holi is best known for is the day when friends and families celebrate the playful nature of the festival. The celebration typically lasts two days but this will be a one day fun event with vendors, dancing, bouncy houses and dunk tanks, carnival games, performances, vegetarian food, a color sprint and more.
A friend once told me that if you don’t want to be covered in color powder, don’t leave the house. But what fun is that? Leave your house and come to this event.
The local Holi Mela invites a dignitary each year to be the chief guest. In the past Mayor Fischer, congresspeople and the JCPS superintendent have been honored guests. This year, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, has been asked to be the chief guest. All politics aside, this is a family friendly event to celebrate a fun and special holiday with our Indian neighbors.
With low COVID numbers and the desire to be with humanity again, do not miss a chance to greet the spring with this beautiful and colorful Holi event.
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