The festival of Holi, when the world gets suffused with colour, ushers in Spring. A festival which originated in India to mark the victory of everything good in the world, with colours, water and a feast of traditional vegetarian food, is now being celebrated world over.
Be it the inspiration from Bollywood films that feature diverse shades of the festival on celluloid or the sheer love for colours that draws people from all various nations of the world — it is one of the most cherished festivities.
What began in pockets dominated by Indians, is now increasingly a global phenomenon with Holi related festivities taking place in city squares, schools and universities and with curated festivals happening in international cities like New York, Moscow, Madrid and London.
Video of Holi festival at Utah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6sf84Uej4
One of the pioneers is the ISKON temple in Utah which organises grand Holi celebrations every year. In Russia, an event inspired by Holi, known as Colourfest, has gained popularity. In London, different organisations like The Rajasthani Foundation organise Holi parties. Holi Mahotsav, which is organised by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, in Sydney includes performances by Indian artistes, food and craft stalls. Even Sabadell, a small town in Spain has been celebrating Holi for the last few years. In Nepal, Holi is celebrated as a National festival.
With a view to study the global phenomenon of the celebration of Holi, the Center for Soft Power invites a short term 3-month research project into the spread of these festivities. The research should include a study into the symbolism and significance of Holi to different communities across the world in the run up to this year’s Holi Festival on March 10.
Interested research students and scholars may send the statement of interest to namaste@centerforsoftpower.org. Remuneration will be discussed and finalized with the selected Scholar.
