Photograph by Jana Seshadri

Sanjay Agarwal, wife Parul, daughter Supriya and Vipam Bhanot bathed in Gullal, or powdered pigment at the spring festival Holi on March 24 at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple.




City is the spot for celebration

Indian community from throughout the Bay Area heads to Sunnyvale for 'Holi'

By Jana Seshadri

Sunnyvale was resplendent with color on March 23 and 24 when more than 2,000 Indians from all over the Bay Area gathered at the Hindu Temple and Community Center, thousands of miles away from their homeland, to celebrate Holi -- the Hindu spring festival. Colorfully dressed people of all ages participated in the festivities, which began with a group dance called garba on March 23 and a variety of events on March 24.

"We've been celebrating this festival every year for the past five years," said Naranji Patel, president of the Hindu Temple and one of the organizers of the annual event.

As per the Gregorian calendar, the festival usually falls in the month of March, heralding the arrival of spring. Celebrated throughout India, Holi, with several mythological origins, means different things to people in different parts of the country. For some it means a time of harvest--when farmers celebrate their yearlong effort of growing crops. Spring brings with it warmer weather, which means the end of cold nights and inadequate shelter for the poor. In some parts of India, Holi is celebrated with songs, dance, music and plays to bring the community together and spread peace, love and goodwill.

On the eve of the festival a huge bonfire, made up of dried leaves and branches left through the winter, signifies the clearing away of all things gone, thereby making way for new beginnings. One myth states that the demon Holika, the king's sister, wanting to kill young Prahlad, the king's son, cajoles him to sit on her lap and then sets fire to herself, convinced that fire could never harm her. But Holika is devoured by the flames and Prahlad walks out of the fire unscathed and alive. Some people celebrate the victory of good over evil by dancing around the bonfire and praying to invoke the blessings of the gods.

Above all, Holi is a time for fun and enjoyment; a time to get together with family, friends and neighbors. If there's one time when it's acceptable for adults to join in with their kids, play pranks and smear each other with gullal--colored powder--it's during Holi.The color throwing part of the festivities, held in the temple's back parking lot between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on March 24, was easily the favorite among the attendees. A DJ played popular tunes loudly while brightly dressed participants bathed in red, green, blue, orange, yellow and purple hues joined in to dance enthusiastically and spray one another with gullal.

No festival in India is complete without a feast, and the Hindu temple provided that as well. A vegetarian meal was served for a $5 suggested donation, which enabled the attendees to spend all day at the temple, enjoying themselves. Temple officials held special worship and prayer times throughout the weekend.

The garba, held from 8 p.m. to midnight on March 23, was "very fun," said Sunnyvale teenager, Ayesha Singh. There was a huge crowd on hand to join in the traditional folk dance from Western India.


Photograph by Jana Seshadri

Tina Mann, a student of Homestead High School in Sunnyvale sings an Indian classical number accompanied on the tabla by her father, Surinder Mann, a noted musician in the Bay Area on March 24 at the 'Holi' spring festival.




Children of all ages participated in the cultural program, which was held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the packed community room. The 30-item event was a mixture of classical and non-classical numbers, which included folk and film dances in different languages, devotional songs and solo performances.

"Putting the show together was a good experience," said Sheetal S. Singhal, one of the three organizers of the cultural program. With a background in Bharatnatyam--the south Indian classical dance form--Singhal has started a dance school in San Jose and teaches folk dancing at Harker School.

It was difficult to limit the event to three hours, Singhal said, as more groups wanted to perform. Encouraging children to participate in such events familiarizes them with Indian culture and heritage, Patel said.

Sunnyvale resident Sejal Shah, 18, who is a member of the Mitva dance group, said their group was approached by the organizing committee to perform at the temple after they won first place at a dance competition last month. Children as young as 4 and 5 years old performed with enthusiasm, and audience members showed their appreciation with loud cheers and applause.

Patel said that they have been seeing a steady increase in the number of attendees since the temple started holding Holi celebrations five years ago. First out of curiosity and then out of pure eagerness to participate, more and more non-Indians are starting to show up, he said.

"I want to unite everyone in the community--Indians and non-Indians alike," Patel said.

The Sunnyvale Hindu temple, established in 1993, is located at 450 Persian Dr. Last month the Sunnyvale City Council approved a study to change the name of Persian Drive to Mandir Drive. The study, instigated by the Indian community, will take about three months to complete. The word "Mandir" means temple in several Indian languages, including Hindi. Several residents in the temple neighborhood, especially members of the Fox Hollow Homeowners Association, voiced their disapproval of the idea.

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