Tons of particles of colored maize painted the sky on March 24 and 25 and April 14 at the annual celebration of Holi. The Hindu temples in Spanish Fork and Salt Lake City that were once white became encrusted with layers of chalk and the handprints of the nearly 80,000 participants of the festival.

Holi, or the Festival of Colors, is a Hindu tradition. It is considered to be the least religious of the faith's traditions, but was originally an agricultural festival. The throwing of the colors into the sky symbolizes the beginning of spring emerging from the bleakness of the winter. This act also symbolizes forgiving all those around you, creating new friendships, and having unity among all.

Sophomore Olivia Cella went to the festival for the second year in a row. She believes that despite the rich traditions behind the ceremony, many people who attend the festival have no clue what they are celebrating. “I think they are just there to have fun,” said Cella.

While on the temple grounds, the floor seemed to be made of dirt, although it was actually packed with layers of chalk from the celebration. The chalk is available each year for two dollars a bag, or ten dollars for a bag of five assorted colors. This chalk came in various colors, such as purple, pink, blue, green, and yellow, and was sold at the temple. All bags of chalk purchased from illegal vendors were prohibited and confiscated before entering the temple grounds. The outside chalk may contain dangerous chemical ingredients, which may hurt those happily celebrating Holi. However, the chalk sold from the temple is safe.

Many participants chose to wear white garments, which created a more drastic contrast when the chalk was thrown onto the clothing. Standing near the entrance, a flock of people wearing mostly white clothing closed in on the Temple, ready to begin celebrating, while those exiting the temple were covered head-to-toe in the chalk. Half of the road was pure and white, while the other half was stained the colors of the rainbow.

“I thought it was kind of symbolic [seeing the contrast between those entering and exiting],” said Cella. “We come into the world reasonably pure and come out muddied. The same thing happened at the Temple, but the dirt the world covers us in is still beautiful because it denotes experience and wisdom … much like the colored chalk.”

Senior Maggie Despres attended the festival for the first time this year. “I was excited to see what the festival was like, since I had heard so much about it,” said Despres.

There were designated throwing times when the community would gather in a large crowd and begin to count down. When the count down commenced, all in attendance yelled “Krishna” and threw handfuls of chalk into the air. The sky became like a canvas, filling up with all the colors of the rainbow. These throwings happened approximately every two hours.

As with most festivals, there was live music playing. A variety of “mantra rock” bands played songs that included traditional ritual chants. “The atmosphere was very happy and celebratory because of the music,” said Despres. “[It was] inclusive to everyone, even those who were not members of their religion.”