Holi- The Festival of Colors

I received this bulk-mail from Lucknow. I thought it embodied the spirit of India & Holi and wanted to share it with our blogeurs. I'm sure you will love the accompanying pictures including the Holi bonfire from the previous night!

"Dear Friends,

Phalgun has arrived with the promise of warm days and new life – Spring, the season of rejuvenation and rebirth. The earth discards its winter gloom and begins to blossom again under the fresh blue of the March skies. As if to mark this change, Holi flings colour into Indian landscape and invites the celebration of life.

The spirit of Holi is colour - rich and vibrant, flung into the air and smeared with laughter of friends and loved ones. It recalls the secret of life: a shifting panorama of sights, movements and feelings. Colours denote energy - the vivid, passionate pulse of life. Colour signifies the vitality that makes the human race unique in the universal scheme. Colours represent diversity that is so uniquely Indian!

I have heard from my mother that when they were children the colour for Holi was made at home, from the flowers of the 'tesu' tree also called 'the flame of the forest' or 'palash'. The flowers, bright red in colour were collected from the trees and spread out on mats, to dry in the sun. Once dried, they were then ground to a fine powder. This powder was then mixed with water to give a rich saffron-red colour. The mixture was considered good for health, probably because of the reddish glow it left behind on the skin.

‘Gujia’ is another Holi speciality to which we look forward to all the year. This unique delicacy, with a crispy cover and a sweet core of khoya, kaju, badam, pista, kesar and kish-mish invariably breaks through all our weight loss resolutions and leaves us wanting for just one more!

Here is wishing you all a very joyous Holi! Please do convey our love to the children in your family and vicinity and please do not even glance at the bathroom scale for the next seven days!

‘Phoolon ne khushboo ka jam bheja hai
Taaron ne aasman se salam bheja hai
Khushion aur rangon se bhari ho Holi
Dil se humne ye paigam bheja hai’

Regards,

Surajit Bhattacharya"

Sandwich Art