Holi Eve
Indians LOVE taking pictures of foreigners. Today I posed for the cameras of dozens of strangers. Only one of them asked my name, and a few even took pictures on the sly. Being a foreigner in India brings along a certain kind of celebrity status. Kids constantly yell "hello!", people generously offer their bus seat so I don't have to stand in the aisle on long rides, sometimes people burst into laughter at the mere sight of me, and then there's this photo opp situation. They want pictures of me with every possible combination of them and their family and friends. I try to smile patiently while each person takes a turn behind the camera, but sometimes I get frustrated and walk away mid-shoot. At the Muslim Festival in a village near Ellora, a woman wanted me to hold her terrified baby for a photo. Other people didn't have cameras of their own, but wanted to pose for mine.
Brian and I stumbled upon the Muslim Festival after a day-trip to Ellora caves. We were the only foreigners there and quickly became one of the festival's attractions. We delighted in the flashy kitch, the decked-out mosque and all the carnival food- mainly the traditional fried sweet-bread. On our way back to Aurangabad, we squeezed into a jeep with 20 other people.
Ellora CavesThese caves were carved out of rock by 10 generations, taking over 200 years to complete. Dating back to 760 AD, three religions are represented in 34 caves- Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Although some have declined over the years, the detail and mass-scale was impressive.
Holi!
Holi coincides with the first full moon of March every year. Even though most parts of India are already baking-hot, the holiday celebrates the transition into spring and the triumph of good over evil. Perhaps the most notable part of the celebration is the all-out color fight that closes shops for the day and keeps young men highly entertained. Boys fill up water guns with colored water and smear bright powders on each other throughout the day. I wore a white shirt to better show the color and had a lot of fun getting smeared. Unfortunately, one group of boys used the opportunity to grab my boobs and steal my sunglasses. Aside from that, it was a joyful day with lots of "Happy Holi!" greetings yelled from motorbikes and street corners. After spending 45 minutes with a hot bucket bath and scrubber mitt, I still had pink ears, toes and nose. To celebrate, we treated ourselves to "pizza" that tasted like Thai sweet and sour stir-fry on top of focaccia bread with cheese. When in India, eat Indian food!
Holi coincides with the first full moon of March every year. Even though most parts of India are already baking-hot, the holiday celebrates the transition into spring and the triumph of good over evil. Perhaps the most notable part of the celebration is the all-out color fight that closes shops for the day and keeps young men highly entertained. Boys fill up water guns with colored water and smear bright powders on each other throughout the day. I wore a white shirt to better show the color and had a lot of fun getting smeared. Unfortunately, one group of boys used the opportunity to grab my boobs and steal my sunglasses. Aside from that, it was a joyful day with lots of "Happy Holi!" greetings yelled from motorbikes and street corners. After spending 45 minutes with a hot bucket bath and scrubber mitt, I still had pink ears, toes and nose. To celebrate, we treated ourselves to "pizza" that tasted like Thai sweet and sour stir-fry on top of focaccia bread with cheese. When in India, eat Indian food!
To read about an amazing place called Hampi, click HERE.
How fun and CRAZY! And now you're on your way HOOOOOOOME!!!
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