Editor’s note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly spelled the name of Anpana Lakhmani. The error has been corrected, and we regret any confusion it may have caused.
South Lawn was painted in an array of colorful powders on Thursday, March 13, as the Asian American Association (AAA) collaborated with the Indian Student Association (ISA) for a Holi celebration.
Freshman ISA member Jacob Thomas from Louisville said that this is the second year that Holi is being celebrated as a joint event by the two organizations.
“Holi is about to officially get started. It is the festival of colors and it helps celebrate the triumph of good over evil,” Thomas said.
Vice President of AAA Flora Lin from Glasgow said that this was her second time celebrating Holi on campus with ISA.
“We get so bogged down by midterms that we don’t seem to find the time to have fun,” Lin said. “We throw water balloons and we toss colors at each other and we kind of forget about our stresses for the day.”
Anpana Lakhmani, a junior doctoral student in applied psychology, from Varanasi, India said the festival originates from ancient Hindu mythology and other cultural traditions. Waterfights and bonfires can also be involved in celebrations worldwide. For the campus celebration, Lakhmani said ISA and AAA opted for water balloons and chalked powders.
Lin said that celebrating Holi isn’t necessarily related to Asian culture. She said that they like to include other cultures to have a moment of gathering.
“It helps them celebrate like a festival that they would normally have in their hometown that they might not find here and just gives them a sense of community,” Lin said.
Thomas said that ISA and AAA try to accommodate for everyone in order to help better understand the cultures. He said it is about creating a sense of community for one another.
“As an immigrant who has come from India, my parents have exposed me to all types of Indian culture through the festivals, the music, everything,” Thomas said. “Learning about my culture is something that I take pride in and being able to show others is something that I like to do.”
Lakhmani said that Holi is about bonding, unity and forgiveness.
“It means celebration, coming together and forgiving all the grudges while having collectivism,” Lakhamani said. “We are so diverse yet we are one. It’s about not having a care and having others celebrating with you. That’s what festivals mean.”
The association’s main goal is to get everyone involved while also sharing each other’s culture. Lin said although online research is great, nothing compares to experiencing it in person. It’s also beneficial to learn about other cultures, she said, because nowadays, everyone is divisive. Lin said culture is just one of the ways to share what they love.
Thomas said that he encourages everyone to show up and support ISA or AAA. He said he enjoys telling his parents that he isn’t only learning about his culture but sharing it with others.
“We are humans. We should celebrate our differences, similarities and learn from each other,” Lakhmani said. “All of us should all be learning, accepting and respecting.”
