Indians celebrate their New Year with singing and dancing.

Welcoming the spring

Jeffery Wu, director of the India Museum, Taiwan, says that Holi is also known as the “Festival of Colors,” adding that there are many explanations of the holiday’s origins.

The version of the origin story most common in India appears in the famous epic Mahabharata, and tells of an asura and king named Hiranyakashipu. Granted im­mortal­ity by the god Brahma, Hiranyakashipu becomes arrogant, violent and cruel, and bans his people from worship­ing ­Vishnu, instead demanding that they worship only him.

When Hiranyakashipu’s son Prahlada becomes a de­votee of Vishnu, the king grows enraged and repeatedly attempts to kill the prince. When these efforts fail, the king has the princess Holika, who cannot be harmed by fire, embrace the prince and leap into a pyre. But the prince remains unscathed, and Holika burns instead. Hiran­yaka­shipu’s subjects celebrate the prince’s goodness, his courage through this trial, and his safe emergence from it by sprinkling him with powdered pigments and water.

Everyone dresses up for Diwali, the Indian New Year festival.

Srivastava, owner and head chef at Mayur Indian Kitchen, says that people in southern India now observe the Festival of Colors on the first day of spring. He explains that the holiday celebrates the end of the monochromatic winter, welcomes the return of the flowers and warmth of spring, and represents a prayer for an abund­ant harvest in the coming year. For this reason, Holi is also known as the Spring Festival.

On the day of the festival, locals play traditional Indian music, and dance and sing to the beat of the dholak, a two-headed hand drum. Young and old alike take to the streets with colored powders that they sprinkle or smear on one another to represent well wishes. Some fling whole handfuls of pigment in “attacks” that leave people covered from head to foot in a whole spectrum of colors and fill the air with powder; and mischievous children sometimes load buckets, balloons and water guns with colored water that they use to douse everyone they meet.

Indian restaurateur Mayur Srivastava organizes Holi festivities in Taiwan that welcome everyone, regardless of national origin.

Sharing Indian culture

The Holi tradition dates back nearly 1,000 years in India. Carried abroad by Indian emigrants and students, it has recently become a global celebration as well.

Indians in Taiwan also celebrate Diwali, the Indian New Year, dressing up and gathering with their compatriots in November to light fireworks, dance, and eat seasonal dishes. Out of respect for the dietary restrictions of ­Jains, organizers of these gatherings make sure to include dishes that contain no root vegetables (such as potatoes, onions, or garlic).

“In India, we pass the New Year with our own ethnic and religious groups, but in Taiwan we celebrate together without regard for religious background. We’re like one big family,” says Shan Manish, head of the Taiwan Indian Club, who explains that these events help expatriate children become familiar with their own tradi­tional culture and customs, enabling them to better hold on to their roots.

Originally from Delhi, Srivastava has spent 12 years in Taiwan. His wife, children, and seven restaurants now make it feel like home. While Srivastava is well acquainted with Taiwan’s culture, he recognizes that many Taiwanese are not equally familiar with India’s. He began organizing Holi celebrations for the public here in 2013 to try to rectify that by increasing the general public’s awareness of Indian culture and stories. For this year’s celebrations, he’s arranged simultaneous events in Tai­pei, Tao­yuan and Hsin­chu that will feature perform­ances by Indian dance companies.

Sweet treats are popular gifts at the Indian New Year, adding joy to the season.

“Sweets are an important part of Indian celebrations,” adds Srivastava.

Those who buy tickets to his Holi events will therefore be provided with treats such as ­laddu (chickpea flour and ghee shaped into balls with nuts and syrup), ­gujiya (fried dumplings filled with dried fruits, nuts, and brown sugar), and vegetarian curry puffs, to introduce them to Indian food culture.

International Holi!

India has 21 states, and its citizens’ skin colors also vary with region. It is only on Holi that people are all the same, with everyone becoming a bright mix of hues. Srivastava stresses that Holi contains an important message: that everyone is equal regardless of color or wealth. During the holiday, everyone sings and dances, no matter their religion or ethnicity.

“When I was a boy, we always celebrated Holi with our neighbors in Delhi.” Speaking fluent Mandarin, Srivastava says it’s different in Taiwan, where more and more people are becoming aware of the festival, and where Brazilians, Spaniards and others take part in it. Since 2015, annual participation in his Holi events has exceeded 1,000 people, but only about one-­quarter of these have been Indians residing in Taiwan. The others have been Taiwanese and Taiwan residents of other national­ities, turning Taiwan’s Holi into an inter­national celebration.

Srivastava promotes Holi for another reason as well. He says that many people abroad think Taiwan is a province of mainland China. He hopes that the indi­viduals from 30-some nations who participate in Taiwan’s Holi will help correct that misunderstanding and let people abroad know that Taiwan is a wonderful country by posting stories and pictures of the festivities on social media.

People of all ages sprinkle colored powders on one another during the Holi celebrations. (courtesy of Mayur Srivastava)

“My children were born in Taiwan, so I hope Taiwan keeps getting better!” Mayur loves Taiwan even more than Taiwanese people do, and hopes that the Holi celebra­tions here become the largest in Asia outside of India itself.

What’s the best way to take part in the Holi festiv­ities? Don’t bring anything susceptible to water damage, like electronics, and do wear a plain T-shirt (expect it to be ruined). With these simple guidelines in mind you can play to your heart’s content, learn to forgive, and experience an aspect of Indian tradition. Are you ready to participate in wild and colorful Holi? Come enjoy a chromatic experience as the streets run with pigments and life takes on new hues!