Holi Festival Of Colours 2016

(Picture by Richard Huckvale)

After much deliberation we decided to spend Holi Festival of Colours in Anjuna (Goa) we were only meant to go to Goa for a few days but ended up staying for 3 weeks (I will be blogging about it shortly) this ones all about Holi

So firstly I was expecting Holi to be celebrated throughout India on the same day. How wrong I was the official date for Holi in Goa was 24th March 2016 but it starts the day after the full moon so depending on where you are in India it started on different days and people were still playing Holi over a week later, trust me when I say this it is one crazy experience.

The day started rather normal the girls had not managed to find anything white to wear so we started with a trip round the markets to get anything white for them to wear, Then off to the local shop to buy our paint powder. 10 rupees a packet so about 10p we got £5 worth haha we knew there was going to be a lot of celebrating and we wanted to be prepared. Then the fun just kind of hit us literally we decided heading towards the beach would be a good idea and it was only a 15 minute walk from the apartment, It took us 3 hours to get there. 

Every man, woman, child, dog, cow and monkey was playing Holi. Locals, travellers, young, old, rich, poor, when I say everyone I mean everyone. People whizzing past on mopeds throwing paint at anyone they could reach, most stopping to hug, kiss and embrace us with every colour you could think of. Invites into peoples homes, requests to throw water on you, everyone wanting to take pictures and videos and experience the festival of colours together. Locals were dancing in the streets, cows were multi coloured as were the dogs and monkeys, Cars, bikes, houses nothing was safe everything had colour. 

There was 5 in our group, myself, Lauren, Becky, Kellie (From Chester) & Mandip, we met Mandip in the hostel in Mumbai and he came down to Goa to continue the party haha. Becky & Kellie were yet more people I have met off the backpackr app I blogged about previously. We got that close that we all ended up sharing one in big bed for a night haha yes thats right 5 in the bed, it's all part of the travelling experience right.

As you can see from the picture about we were covered from head to toe not a single part of our body didn't have colour. I am writing this blog on the 3rd April and I still have colour in my hair, beard & on my arms. I have also kept my t-shirt as a memento of the event that I will keep forever, when I decide on a place to set up camp somewhere in the world I will have it framed and put up on the wall as a constant reminder of the day and the event, one of which I have wanted to be part of for such a long period of time.

Now aside from the fun and games we had throwing paint on anyone and anything, for me the best part about the entire day was that there was no hint of, race, religion, sex, sexuality... NOTHING we were all as one no matter where you were from, what you believed in, who you loved or how rich or poor you were. We were what we are and always will be human beings embracing everyone like they were our brother and sister being welcomed into peoples homes like we were family and it begs the question WHY? why do we as people need a festival, celebration or a tragic event to be brought together as one, It really doesn't matter where you are from, the colour of your skin, your religious beliefs, your sexuality or gender or how much or little money you have in the bank, at the end of the day we are all people, people with difference and imperfections that make us all unique in our own ways but deep down were are all the same.

I think society blinds our judgment and the media and worlds higher powers have poisoned our minds to make us think being different is bad, but we as people have the power to change that and change the world we live in not just for us but for our future generations. We are here once there is no dress rehearsal this is it one chance at life, so enjoy it go out and meet new people, makes friends with people who are different, that don't speak your language, that don't eat what you eat. You don't have to travel the world to meet these kinds of people no matter where you are in the world these people are right outside our front doors, on the same streets, in the same towns and cities. Embrace people how we all are as brother and sisters and trust me you will find there is a lot more good in this world than evil.

Richard :)