Holi is a bath of life and color. It takes place at night first full moon in Marchaccording to the rules of the Hindu calendar, but the festival begins the night before.
In the Hindu tradition, it is the festival of spring, but also of rebirth, the triumph of good over evil, the encounter with others. It is celebrated with songs, dances and merriment, throwing colored powders at each other, symbolizing the awakening of nature: all pain is given up to embrace life in all its beauty, one is freed from constraints and obligations. In short, a great carnival – with promiscuity that Indian and Nepalese cultures rarely open up to.
A symbolic and particular case is that of widows, on whom tradition and religious obligations impose a strict code of sobriety – no celebrations, dark clothing, demure demeanor. But Holi is an exception, the party where the rules are broken and suspended: And here are the widows who finally shed the mask of sorrow to join the dancers, the tourists, the joy, the throwing of colors and flower petals .