Meet Rupali Dalvi - How I celebrate the Holi Festival
Born and raised in Mumbai, Rupali completed her graduate and post graduate studies before commencing her career within the aviation industry as a revenue manager. She later migrated to Canada in 2002 where she expanded her career into the financial services and insurance industry. In 2013, Australia beckoned, and a short working holiday turned into a permanent move for Rupali and her family.
Rupali joined CHU in 2021 and is an integral part of the CHU Underwriting team.
A few things we’ve learned about Rupali is that she is a qualified microbiologist, loves the being active in the outdoors including gardening and hiking. She can cook a mean butter chicken and enjoys sharing her Indian culture with the team here at CHU.
Rupali’s career in insurance started in Canada with P&C insurance and then branching on to Life insurance. During her tenure in insurance she has worked across various facets of the product life cycle and ventured back into the world of underwriting with CHU to learn all things Strata.
With the celebration of Holi just around the corner, Rupali Dalvi shares her knowledge on the festival also known as ‘The Festival of Colours’.
– Celebrated on 8 March 2023
Growing up in Mumbai, a medley of various cultures and a melting pot of customs, the month of March was eagerly awaited by the young and the old for a chance to play Holi with friends and family.
One of the most remarkable things about this Indian festival is how enthusiastic and care-free it is. It is purely a day of fun. I didn’t love being dragged to temple as a child but going to temple for Holi was an exception. Because running around throwing colors was something I could always get on board with.
In fact, all over India the streets turn into a riot of colour and frivolity as people across the country celebrate Holi. Dating back throughout the centuries, it’s a festival that is highly significant to the Hindu religion and has, in recent years, been adopted by countries across the globe as a fun event that brings people together by celebrating unity and harmony.
If you’re wondering, “What is Holi?” you might find there isn’t one straight answer to that question. Holi is a celebration of the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It’s a celebration of rebirth and new beginnings, and a time to let the bad and the negative melt away.
Why is Holi called the festival of colours?
Holi is called the festival of colours because the main event is a colour-filled celebration. While the bonfire on the night before, Holika Dahan, has a religious element, the day of the colour fest typically doesn’t involve a religious ceremony. It’s purely about having fun within your community by taking to the streets or attending private celebrations to throw colours at each other. The colours are each said to symbolize something different. Blue is for Krishna, a Hindu god portrayed with blue skin. Green is symbolic of rebirth and new beginnings. Red is the colour of marriage and can symbolize matrimony or fertility. And yellow, the colour of turmeric, is often used on auspicious occasions.
Origin of Holi
It is not known exactly when Holi originated but there is mention of the celebration as early as the 4th century in ancient Sanskrit texts and poems. It has always been known as a festival of colour with the word ‘Holi’ deriving from the name of the Hindu demoness ‘Holika’.Legend has it that Holika was the sister of the arrogant demon king Hiranyakashyap, who demanded that everyone in his kingdom worship him. His son, Prahlada, remained loyal to Lord Vishnu, which enraged his father. In an attempt to kill his son for his treachery, Hiranyakashyap had Holika trick Prahlada into entering a burning pyre, knowing that his sister would be unharmed for she was immune to fire. Prahlada entered the fire chanting Lord Vishnu’s name and he was blessed with his life, whereas Holika unknowingly sacrificed herself as she was only immune when entering the fire alone.
It is thought that Lord Vishnu then appeared and killed Hiranyakashyap in an act of good over evil. The next day people gathered around the debris of the fire and smeared their faces with ash. Over time this morphed into the use of coloured powder.
How is Holi Celebrated in India?
The festival begins with large bonfires on the night before Holi where people gather to watch the burning of Holika effigies. Religious rituals and prayers are carried out in the hope that evil will be destroyed in the fire like Holika was. The bonfire is cleansing and meant to burn away all the bad and evil.
The following day is when the real fun starts as people hit the streets (usually in their old clothes) to smear coloured powder on one and all.
People spend the day smearing coloured powder all over each other’s faces, throwing coloured water at each other, having parties, and dancing under water sprinklers. Bhang, a paste made from cannabis plants, is also traditionally consumed as part of the celebrations.
Special Holi events with music, rain dances, and colours are organized in large cities across India.
Participants use water guns, water-filled balloons and even sprinklers to make the powder travel further and create a truly enjoyable environment.
After the day of entertainment, families and friends gather to spend time in each other’s company and share delicacies such as thandai – a creamy and delicately spiced milk drink, and in Maharashtra, the traditional “Puran poli” – a sweet flatbread stuffed with lentils, jaggery and cardamom.
Red for love, green for prosperity, orange for success and pink for happiness. May God Bless you and your family with all these colours. Give your life wings and fly in colourful sky; enjoy the shower of rainbow rain and steal the hues of love. Feel it and make it your own; love it and accept what comes. Life is nothing but a colourful journey, so enjoy!
Wishing everyone a happy Holi.
