On April 20, the Penn community celebrated Holi, the vibrant Hindu festival marking the arrival of spring. Although Holi traditionally falls in March, the Penn community gathered in front of College Hall on a sunny April afternoon to partake in the festivities.
Hosted and organized by Penn’s Hindu & Jain Association, the event kicked off around 4:30 p.m. as the club began distributing free white T-shirts to undergraduate students. In preparation for the colorful chaos to come, the Benjamin Franklin statue was carefully wrapped in a protective tarp.
With temperatures in the high 60s, students gathered on the lawn to listen to music by a DJ. Around 5 p.m., the celebration officially began with performances from campus dance groups including Penn Dhamaka, Penn Masti, Penn Raas, and more. The dancers performed with powder in hand, setting the tone for what was to come.
Following the dances, HJA handed out bags of vibrant powder to attendees. In a matter of moments, the air filled with clouds of pinks, blues, and yellows as students playfully tossed color on one another.
By the end of the celebration, students stood almost unrecognizable, coated in color.
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