Playing Holi

So Holi is a big Hindu holiday - here is what wiki says about it briefly:

The main day, Holi, is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before. The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad accomplished when Demoness Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of god Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion. Holika Dahan is referred to as Kama Dahanam in South India. I think half the time people don't even know the real significance of a holiday here, but it's tradition so they do it. They have carts along the roadside selling all different colors of the powder, and they also sell these squirt guns and pichkaris which is kind of like a big plastic syringe that squirts out the water and color.

They lit a big fire in front of our apartment complex, as did all the other ones in the city. Here's a pic of the weird little one our neighbor made outside our door, complete with carrots around it....don't ask me..I don't get it, lol. She brought us a plate of 'prashad' which is like a little offering - of a sweet called jelabhi, dried dates, popcorn, and another snack. All the cleaners have been knocking at our door asking for a holi tip.

My friends, Vishal and Richa, asked us to come over at 10 at their place. Richa had made some treats for Holi - Gujia - that looks like a fried dumpling with dried fruit and nuts, and tastes a little donut-y. They had already gotten up and played Holi in their flat, as it is their first Holi together as a couple- so cute! They had 4 dishes set out with pink, blue, yellow, and green powder, and when you meet anyone you have to greet them with happy holi and then each smears the powder on the other's face. Before we went there, we stopped at Gwalia sweets to take a box of treats to their house. As we walked out, a little boy, maybe 4 was there with a squirt gun. Haider looked down, smiled, and said hi, and the boy promptly squirted him, ha!

A few other friends came and we went to CEPT where everything is a cause for celebration. They had made a bit of a mud pit in the center and were throwing the powder and then catching people who weren't dirty enough and dumping them in the mud.
We stayed away from the mud pit, but still got plenty dirty. The powder itself is messy but then one of the guys found a water bottle and put the powder in the bottle.
Then Haider got control of the bottle and got me completely messy. Finally Richa and Vishal held him for me so I could retaliate. The group picture is the 'before' I'll have to get the 'after' pictures from Richa because they are much better.
There were a bunch of foreign students playing at CEPT at the time too, but you couldn't tell them from the Indians everyone was so dirty! As we were leaving, the students caught Vishal and dragged him to the mud pit - since he is a new lecturer there. After that we went home, cleaned up, and met back for lunch.