Ever seen a Bollywood movie with thousands upon thousands of people throwing paint on each other?
This celebration, called Holi Moli, is the festival of colors and celebrates the first harvest of spring.
UNC-Chapel Hill has created their version of this celebration right in the middle of campus. “This event was put together by Sangam, Student Government’s Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Outreach committee, Campus Y, and Hindu YUVA. The event was started three years ago by those four organizations and has also involved other groups in gaining its popularity. This year, the event supported both the Bhutanese Empowerment Fund (a special project by Campus Y and Yuva) and the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship, the first student-run university recognized scholarship at Carolina.”
For the third consecutive year, students have left Holi Moli covered from head to toe in an array of colors of body paint. Ranked 13th on the UNC-Chapel Hill bucket list, Holi Moli is quite an experience. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.
Before the event, there are hundreds gathered in anticipation. Everyone is holding their paint and preparing to fight till death.
And then the first paint is thrown and a rainbow cloud hovers over the chanting crowd.
Freshman Anna Agusta said, “It was a really fun way to learn about other cultures and their experiences.”
Well underway, a Where’s Waldo fiend couldn’t even find a speck of white on the participants at this point!
The celebration draws to a close but the students are too pumped with adrenaline to stop!
From right to left: Jennifer Schneider, Corey Bax, Judith Mendez, Stephen McConeyham, Michelle Fronzaglia, Julie Saracino.
After the whole event is over and spring has been welcomed, non-attendees give very interested or judgmental looks towards the participants. But these students don’t let awkward stares bother them. After all, the motto of Holi Moli is still stuck in their head anyway. “Buran a mano, Holi hai. ” And for those of you who don’t speak Hindi, “Don’t mind, it’s Holi.” Holi Moli gives a reason to get away with almost anything, even walking down the street looking like a smurf. If only there were more holidays like this.
From right to left: Kelsey Reinhard, Lauren Josey, Stephanie Linas, Hunter Gray, Josh Peterson, Alex Herzing.