Friday, April 01, 2011

Mobile in Alabama celebrates Holi, Hindu festival of Spring

By Pawan Agrawal

Mobile, AL. Indian Association of Greater Mobile (IAGM) celebrated Holi Festival on March 19 at Chickasaw Bouge Park.

The weather was at its best and the Executive committee members arrived at 10am to set up for the event and members started trickling in at 11am. It was different varieties of hot pakodas to start off with; a sample batch of raw hot pepper pakodas was the first to come off the hot frying pan and then the vegetable pakodas and the green leaf pakodas. Every member of the executive committee brought a bowl of batter so there were about six different types of batter and six different types of taste. As the hot pakodas were making the rounds, the ladies started to cut the vegetables and paneer, marinate them and put them on sticks, which were then roasted on the grill. By this time the Bhelpuri and Dhokla was set up. The Bhel was complete with greed chatni, red chatni, diced onion, tomato and cilantro.

Holi colors were in plenty supply with water guns and water balloon for the kids. Everybody indulged in applying colors on each other both young and old.

There was a volleyball set up right next to the pavilion and both kids and adults including boys and girls were having a friendly match. The time was now about 1pm and most of the members had arrived. There was a strong turnout of about 150 people. Indian Bollywoood Holi Music numbers were playing at its highest volume all along in the open pavilion.

Slowly the group moved to the beach nearby to have a tug of war. The boys and men were on one side and the girls and ladies were on the other side and whom do you think won the first round? Then there was the second round of tug of war and then the third round. So did you guess who won, well it was of-course the ladies and girls who won the first and second but finally it was the men and boys who won the third round. 

Well now, the clock ticked about 2pm and food was being arranged. There was Idly, Sambar, chutney and variety rice. Everybody had a good sumptuous heart full lunch and to top it off there was watermelon and ice cream for kids. Now the time was 3pm and there was the Chai prepared and served hot to the members. Slowly started the pack up of the event. In the meantime, the ladies were all happily dancing as if they were intoxicated with some holi spirit of bhang.

Slowly the crowd dissipated and thus concluded a full day of Fun and Merry of Holi Celebration in a land far away from India but in no way less than being celebrated in India, in fact much more fun. Hope to get in touch with Parvasi Herald audience again at the write up of the next event.

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