Children describe Holi festival experience

PULLING TOGETHER- From left, Aadarsh Jha, Aakash Jha, and Dhruv Aggarwal join friends in a game of tug of war during a recent Holi celebration at Oak Canyon Park in Oak Park. The traditional festival of colors announces the arrival of spring in Hindu tradition.

Holi, also known as "the festival of colors," is an Indian holiday that announces the arrival of spring and the end of winter for the Hindus.

Holi was celebrated by the local Indian community at Oak Canyon Park in Oak Park on March 22. The festival was organized by Indian families and friends in Oak Park. More than 150 people from all over Los Angeles and Ventura County attended.

Holi is celebrated on the first full moon of March. It's a time of social merriment in which people bury their differences with a warm embrace and throw their worries to the wind in the form of gulal (powder colors made from vegetable dyes).

People of all ages come out to celebrate Holi, smearing colors on friends and family- no one is spared. Both the young and the old enjoy throwing water balloons and dry colors and squirting colored water on anyone in sight on Holi.

Four local Oak Park school children, whose parents were involved in organizing this event, describe their experiences.

Shruti Aggarwal, a fifthgrader at Oak Hills Elementary School, said, "Powders were flying everywhere. My friends and I enjoyed coloring people with 'gulal.' Filling buckets of water and soaking everyone around was the highlight of my day. The food was awesome too. I met a lot of new people and experienced the wonder of playing with them, even though I didn't know them before Holi. It is a truly special festival, and a day I will always remember."

"The water guns were enjoyable since it was quite a hot day," said Devika Chandramohan, also a fifth-grader at Oak Hills. "I got splashed with a whole bucket of water. That wasn't the best, though. The best part of Holi is the colored powder tossing, and it definitely was this time. A lady caught me and ambushed me with her colored powder. Though some of it got up my nose and in my mouth, my friends and I were laughing just the same.

"One of my friends was going around, tossing buckets of water at people. I got her for that. When she didn't expect it, I rubbed the purple powder all over her face. All I want to say is Holi was great this year, and I hope it will be the same in the coming years," Devika said.

Aadarsh Jha, a second-grader at Brookside Elementary School, said, "I met a lot of people and wished them happy Holi and threw dry and wet colors on all of them. It was a lot of fun to see adults and kids enjoying and throwing colors on each other. This is first time I have seen so many colors used in a special way.

"I was completely soaked in blue, yellow, green and purple. I had yummy Indian food and a special drink, 'Thandai,' which is taken on the day of Holi. It was a wonderful three hours fun-filled event. I am sad that this year's Holi is already gone by, but I am eagerly waiting for next year," Aadarsh said.

Aakash Jha, a sixth-grader at Medea Creek Middle School, said the Holi experience reminded him of the stories his parents have been telling about Holi in their native place in India.

Aakash said, "I enjoyed seeing and meeting so many people from different parts of India. We greeted each other and wished 'Happy Holi' while applying color on their face, hair and body. In the beginning I was shy, but slowly I warmed up to the event, and by the end of the day I was all soaked with dry and wet colors.

"For a while, it felt like I was in India celebrating Holi with local people. I was very happy to see mom, dad and their friends enjoying this occasion with lots of foods and color. We had a special drinks called, 'Thandai,' which is made up of milk, sugar, saffron, rose syrup, fennel seeds and herbs. It is also topped with rose petals and almonds.

"This was a very unique and special day for me. Now I understand the custom, value and reasons behind celebrating the Holi festival. I am already dreaming of next year's Holi, and I will help my parents in organizing this event," Aakash added.