Photo Story Contest – Holi, the Festival of Color

Photos and Article by Joydip Mitra

Holi, the festival of color, India- 2

I heard a hymn-singer challenging thunder with all the renderings made for God, I saw a drummer jumping into air and transforming into lightning, I contemplated with many into that mischievous face of a boy who, in time, will take up a mythical flute to draw all into everything—color, passion, war, and sensuality.  It’s difficult to make out who imitated whom—the Lord his devotees, or the believers their Master.  Holi is all about thinking in confusion and arriving at nothing.  The colors of love are blinding.

Holi, the festival of color, India- 3

It’s really difficult to come out into anything remotely material.  We know that holi is all about celebrating the rather earthly longing of Lord Krishna for Radha, where colors simply stand, outwardly, for spring, and, deeper in, for passion.  This is quite significant in another sense.  Radha was never conceptualized in Puranas.  It was a Bengali poet, Chandidas, who first thought of her and thus, in the thirteenth century, gave a mighty God His first folk form saturated in all mortal passions like love and longing.  That poet certainly made a noble philosophy dip into humane emotion.  Holi carried that softer legacy from then on.

Holi, the festival of color, India- 4


Have you got a great story to tell and the photographs to go with it?  Win $300 cash with your photo story by submitting it here.

More from User Submission
Photo Story Contest – Veranasi
Photos and Story by Sudhir Singh Bathing on Varanasi Ghats to purify...
Read More
One reply on “Photo Story Contest – Holi, the Festival of Color”
  1. says: Suman Saha

    The photo-essay is a treat to watch.Nice exhibition of colors and emotions.I wish to see more of him regularly.

Comments are closed.