Holi festival is a color-splashed celebration of spring, new beginnings: 'The purpose is to enjoy'
Once again Chicago welcomed the return of spring by celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, at Navy Pier on Saturday.
But for many of those splashing themselves in the customary colored powder, the holiday means so much more. Reflecting on the occasion, participants and presenters used words like joy, love, tradition and inclusivity to describe their feelings.
‘We see people of all backgrounds and races coming together and having fun,” said Sohail Khan, 32, of Hoffman Estates, who attended the event with his fiancee, Anushka Raval. “It's just really nice to see that. Everyone gets to learn about each other's cultures. Everyone gets to celebrate the music and the colors.”
Khan champions that acceptance in his personal life, too. Though he is Muslim and Raval is Hindu, they embrace each other’s religious and cultural customs.
“I hit the jackpot, I guess,” he said, laughing.
Thousands took part in the event, which since 2018 has been held at Navy Pier as part of the lakeside venue’s Global Connections series. The event was sponsored and supported by several businesses and organizations, including ComEd, the Sue Ling Gin Foundation Trust and the Delhi Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International.
Outside, DJs provided a lively soundtrack to the powder-throwing in the beer garden. Inside the Aon Grand Ballroom, performers showcased cultural music and dances. Mayor Brandon Johnson, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Comptroller Susana Mendoza were among the politicians in attendance.
The importance of diversity emerged as a prominent and timely message.
“This Global Connections series this year is more important than it's ever been as there have been efforts to cause our humanity to be surrendered,” Johnson said. “Navy Pier has hosted these celebrations to highlight and uplift the diversity of our communities. But it also highlights the traditions that make up what I call the soul of Chicago. As we celebrate Holi and make sure that we are lifting up our diplomacy, let's always be reminded that the evolution of our democracy is because of the great diversity of our city.”
That welcoming viewpoint was also shared by Ajanta Chakraborty, founder of Bollywood Groove, which performed at the event. She listed color, joy, bravery and "social equalization" as key elements of Holi.
“It's a day when everybody is the same, irrespective of where they come from, who they identify as, how rich or poor they are,” said Chakraborty, 45, of Wicker Park.
Holi is also rooted in religious legends, some of which celebrate the triumph of good over evil. In India, the festival begins with a blessing from an elder, said attendee Avinash Singh, 37, of Uptown.
"There's a lot of nostalgia," Singh said of the holiday. "We think of childhood memories and there are some sweets that we make typically for Holi."
Singh also remembers mixing the powder with water to make water balloons back in India, where he grew up.
"The powder that they're using here is much easier to take off," he said, laughing. "In India, the next day after Holi, you see people coming to offices and schools with painted faces. That's absolutely normal."
While some participants in Navy Pier's festival were wiping the powder off their faces in the bathrooms, others said they planned to clean up at home. After the event, the facilities team sweeps up the plastic powder packets and removes the powder with leaf-blowers. Then, they power-wash the grounds.
Days later, you'd never know there had been smudges of color decorating the sidewalk. But on Saturday, attendees were mindful about living in the moment.
"The purpose is to enjoy," Singh said of the event. "In India, we say that you only have life for four days. So, enjoy it while it lasts."