Happy Holi!

Holi 2014 in Chamba was charming. We had a bonfire and played Holi with a family, which involved a little good natured roughhousing, before attending a Holi party at the Deputy Commissioner’s residence, which involved a military band, some whiskey and dancing. Our travelling group ended up pictured in the local paper.

Holi 2015 in Varanasi was hellish. Boys in silver face paint and wigs beat each other and the police with planks and bricks. Our hotel wasn’t serving food or drinks to anyone without a penis. N quite reasonably went nuclear on a waiter who tried to give her long awaited beer to some guy who just sat down. It was not a high point in our travels.

Holi 2018 in Udaipur was pure delight. The evening portion of the holiday was all about huge bonfires and fireworks. We watched both flare up all over town, including at the front door of our hotel. The little kids set off loud noisemakers to make the whities jump. The main ghat in town started its 2-day dance party. Apparently Despacito is the Holi party song of 2018.

This morning I woke up early like a kid waiting for Christmas. I put on my whites, braided my hair and got my colours together then had to wait until it all started after breakfast. K & I wandered out of the courtyard and down the mainly deserted street until I found a family with little kids. I played Holi with them and she got a plastic baggie for her camera. There were a few more victims near the footbridge and the ghat on the other side. I powdered all the foreigners and their guides I found on the ghat but the main temple was where the real action was happening. There was frenzied drumming and dancing and coloured powders in the air - locals and foreigners together just having a blast. The bonfire from the night before was still smoking which added to the morning heat. Everyone was smiling and happy. People were respectful about colouring each other - none of the face smashing with the powder or just dumping it on you. 

Except for the bastardly little kids. 

They had water balloons, water guns, water buckets and powder mixed with water and they intended to soak everyone to the skin. It was all in good fun but wet underwear full of powder is no one’s friend.

We roamed awhile, covering people in colour and being covered. The hotel staff winced slightly when they saw me at the door about to come in all drippy and powdered. I shook off like a dog but I still left a trail. I felt bad for the boys who had to clean the bathroom after I was through.

I chilled out on the rooftop watching the dance party on the other side of the lake while sipping banana lassi. The party ended early afternoon and the locals headed down to the gender specific ghats to wash up while the foreigners wandered off to their hotels to shower. 

 We ended our Holi day, and the last day our group is all together, with a nice dinner at another rooftop restaurant. Our rickshaw drivers gave us a fun ride home, zipping crazily through the tiny twisty turning streets in our little 3-wheelers. It was like being inside a Pac-Man game.