Fun at Holi Festival

I had a great time at the Holi festival at the Krishna temple in Spanish Fork. Although I was unsure of the history and symbolism of the event, I agreed to go with my friends. Because the traffic was so slow getting there, I was afraid that we would miss the climax of the event. In fact, 2 miles away from the temple people had parked their cars and were walking. Hundreds of students were making a pilgrimage of sorts to the beautiful temple. We were lucky to find a close parking spot.

The organizers estimate that 10,000 people attended the event and were able to learn about the meaning of Holi and about the Krishna beliefs. Temple priest Caru Das explained to excited students and others the story of Holika, an evil witch with an immunity to fire who burned children. One day, she tried to burn Prahlad, who prayed to the Lord Vishnu. She was surprised as she walked into the fire that the child didn't burn. In fact, instead of burning the child the evil witch was burned herself.

To remember this event, a large bonfire was created with a fake Holika perched on top. Once the fire was lit, the throwing of colors began. Even though I could hardly breathe, the throwing of colors was a lot of fun.

I am glad that I attended and learned more about a new religious tradition. It was also a great opportunity to meet new students from Utah Valley. I will attend next year, and hope to find other interesting opportunities in this area to learn about other religions.

A great article about the event can be found at http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/260752/17/.

More information about the Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple can be found at utahkrishnas.com.