Holi Moly! India's annual Festival of Colors.

The much-loved and much-dreaded festival of Holi just swept across India on its annual pilgrimage, reeking rainbow-licious mayhem, delighting Indian youth and terrifying saner people of all ages. Most tourists I know go outside on Holi on their first trip to India, but on subsequent trips take the local's advice and stay inside their hotels until its over. It's called the Color Festival because on this day you throw powdered colors and colored water on friends and strangers alike. You can imagine how exciting that is for a kid - I know it would have been for me. Young men are beside themselves with delight at the prospect of throwing colors and water at a tourist, who are off limits every other day of the year. But it can also get quite aggressive, with young men frequently drinking, and feeling up of Western woman is pretty normal if you go out into the streets.

So we thought we'd play it safe and stay inside the hotel compound. The hotel staff and a few enthusiastic guests had other ideas!

These 45 images, plus a few more, are here in larger sizes:

http://picasaweb.google.com/daveadairphotography/20100301Holi

Love,

Dave 

This is Sanju, who's worked at the hotel for 12 years. When I left last year just before Holi, he was so sad he was pouting. "I want to make colors with you," he said. When I told him I was sorry that I had to go, he said, "Sometimes for the heart, sorry is not enough." How could you not love a place where men talk like that?

That isn't a mask - it's a thick layer of the likely-toxic silver paint.

Bustin' a serious move on the dance floor.

Torsten from Switzerland, who I know from a trip to France some years back, gets pummeled by Whitney from the Bay Area.

Delight!

This little boy, a son of one of the staff at the hotel, just broke into dance periodically.

I've been coming to this hotel in Varanasi since 1995, and there are always lots of Japanese and Korean travelers staying here.

Sanju, in his element.

Francois, the crazy Frenchman, and principle provocateur.

A successful green powder attack, and the infrequently-use "bucket defense." 

The "bucket defense" in its full glory. 

The photographer and his expensive camera were largely spared. But that silver paint smelled nasty - like gasoline fumes!

Sabina, another crazy trouble-maker - in the best way. "Watch out for my camera!" I said as she's aimed a bucket of water at someone. She said, "Zen don't take peek-tures!!"

The place is destroyed. Sanju declares it a complete success!

This is Madanji, the hotel manager since I came the first time. When I called last year after a three-year absence I said, "This is Mr. David from the U.S.," and he says, "Yes, yes." I said "I've been there lots of times," and he says, "Yes, yes, I know." Either he really did know or he faked it well! This, by the way, is his only facial expression:

I love this kid.

This reminds me of that famous American soldier photo from Iraq. Taking a little break after the battle...

This plastic chair was white when the party started.

These 45 images, plus a few more, are here in larger sizes:

http://picasaweb.google.com/daveadairphotography/20100301Holi

(The End)

Photos from Sarnath and Varanasi

Hello happy people. I'm writing from Sarnath, India, just 10 miles and, depending on traffic, two and a half hours away from Varanasi, where I would normally be at this time. The Sarnath retreat-but-not-really finished on the 20th, but a group of us decided to stay on in this sleepy little hamlet, rather than move to Varanasi, where the rest of the contingent mostly now resides. The Sarnath program, in its 12th year, isn't a retreat in that it's not in silence, and participation in any piece of it is at your discretion - a perfect excuse for a non-meditator such as myself to avoid putting butt to cushion. It's a delightful time, with maybe 80 or 100 people coming through at some point, joining discussion groups, listening to evening talks, sharing food and chai with old and new friends, and investigating what it means to live a connected and loving life. And they say in India, "Yes, why not!"

I came to India with a lingering cold and cough, and it turned into my annual HugeHackingCough, which I put off treating until my teeth are rattling from coughing so hard. I finished my usual dose of antibiotics two days ago, but my lung-schmutz seems to be ensconced. It's probably getting better. I've had lots of company - more people than usual were sick this year. My stomach bout doesn't even count because it only lasted for a day and a half. So I'm not going to mention it.

The next retreat that I'm going on, starting March 15, is a little more formal, though hardly arduous by my standards. It's in silence, and it's long-ish, 40 days, but it's in a beautiful pine-forested setting surrounded by lakes and rolling hills. It's like being on vacation, where everything you need is taken care of, and you can relax and go within. If you haven't done any retreats I'm sure it sounds extreme, but it's really quite pleasant, mostly. I'll try to post some photos or stories between now and then.

Enjoy the photos! The same photos are also available here, in larger size:

http://picasaweb.google.com/daveadairphotography/20100223SarnathVaranasi

Love, love, love,

Dave

A very typical Indian scene. These men have two fires on the front porch and are cooking. They stay inside the Thai Monastery

grounds, where the retreat was held.

"Biri's" (usually spelled bidi's) are hand-rolled cigarettes. Check out the health warning. Doesn't sound so bad!

One of my bicycle rickshaw driver friends.

This guy only looks like he'd happily kick your ass. I don't think he actually would. He's a bicycle rickshaw driver.

Some old friends of mine sharing breakfast at "Namo Buddha," the guest house run by a German woman who lives in Sarnath.

Sometimes you just need a place where you can think. How perfect is this?!

Lovely!

Perhaps the only green lawn in Sarnath. The woman set these in the sun for some hours, but I don't know why.

This cutie wasn't going to get too close.

That sugar cane doesn't stand a chance with this kid.

It's common to put "kohl" on kid's eyes, for health and, so I've heard, to keep away evil spirits. It's the main ingredient in mascara.

They had just finished giving this baby a massage when I came across them. That's a very common practice here.

This lovely woman was making colored beadwork.

This young woman was SO shy and reluctant to have her photo taken, but her friends encouraged her.

I love this little girl. She just beams every time I see her.

When all my hair falls out I'm going to shave the head of one of these blonde buffaloes and wear it as a wig.

This is the nightly "Ganga Aarti" ritual in Varanasi, which offers prayers to the gods. It's a sacred ceremony and well attended by Indian tourists.

The same photos are also available here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/daveadairphotography/20100223SarnathVaranasi

(The End)