Sun Devils gathered on the Tempe campus to celebrate Holi, also known as the festival of colors, on Saturday. Holi is a Hindu festival held in March that celebrates the arrival of spring and the end of winter. For many, Holi marks an occasion to forgive others and celebrate with friends and family.
Several organizations held two different events to celebrate the holiday at Palo Verde Beach and the Sun Devil Fitness Complex. Both events had over 3,000 RSVPs with DJs playing upbeat music, food and colorful powder, also known as gulal, available for attendees.
This year, Indian Students' Association worked with a number of clubs to streamline the planning process. Not only did this greatly reduce costs, it unified the clubs and brought a greater sense of community to students. Of these clubs, Hindu YUVA - Youth for Unity, Virtues, and Action at Arizona State University was a substantial collaborator, assisting ISA in logistics and planning.
"In the past years, we've done (the event) in Poly," said Sahith Nagireddy, a graduate student studying mechanical engineering and the president of Hindu YUVA. "This is our first time collaborating with ISA and doing it on Holi. We just thought it'd be better to host one big event than to do two separate (events)."
According to Sukruth Rao, a senior studying information security, ISA has been hosting the event for nearly two decades.
"Even though you're thousands of miles away from India, you can experience that happiness and that sense of home, which is why we do it here," Rao said.
The way ISA executive board works can be reminiscent of a family, meeting regularly in the weeks prior to keep each other up to date. Pratham Hegde, a junior studying cybersecurity and the treasurer for ISA, describes the connection between the members as "friends running a club."
There are a number of traditions this group of friends follows in the duration of the Holi celebration, including celebrating as a team for some time after the main event has ended. This private celebration also involves sneaking up on the president and dousing him in colors.
The harmonious nature of the community fostered by ISA shines through in the way that they communicate.
"Whatever opinion I have, whether it's rash or it's just something flimsy, I can share it with them, because I know for a fact they'll actually listen," Hegde said.
While the event leaders have traditions and familiarity with the event, for some attendees, it was their first time experiencing Holi.
Roommates Anish Subash, a freshman studying computer science cybersecurity, and Caden Wate, a freshman studying computer systems engineering, attended the celebration together dressed in traditional Indian clothing called a kurta.
Wate said this was his first time at Holi after his roommate convinced him to attend and shared enthusiasm for the celebration and its traditions.
READ MORE: Holi 2018 brings color and culture to ASU and beyond
"It's not just a cultural event. We try to celebrate diversity, inclusivity and joy," said Asmi Kachare, a junior majoring in computer science and the director of administration at ISA.
ISA's Holi celebration was the culmination of months of work that ultimately brought thousands of Sun Devils a way to commemorate the colorful holiday.
"I love celebrating Holi, and honestly, it's so special to me," Kachare said. "It's been three years since I've been celebrating Holi with ISA now, and I'm just genuinely excited for the music and the colors, and the food."
Edited by Senna James, Andrew Dirst, Abigail Beck, Sophia Braccio, Tiya Talwar and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at ktale@asu.edu and asadlier@asu.edu and follow @KasturiTale and @audreymsadlier on X.
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Kasturi is a sophomore studying journalism. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has her own blog and has worked in creative writing.
Audrey is a junior studying journalism and mass communication. This is here third semester with The State Press.
