VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Sarah Schafer: The signs of a Syracuse spring are finally here. The ice is melting, the sun is out, and the university campus is slowly but surely waking up. But inside the Hendricks Chapel, the arrival of spring is being marked with ancient rituals and quiet reflection.
This is a pooja, a prayer ceremony organized by the Hindu Student Association Holika Dehan, to kick off the festival of Holi. It commemorates the ancient story of Prahlad, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.
Sanjay Mathur, Chaplain & Advisor, Hindu Student Association: We pray for the students’ well-being, their midterms, their life, their career, so the evil goes away and the goodness prevails.
Sarah Schafer: That goodness is shown in the fire, flowers, and colors. For international or Hindu students, this ceremony ensures that their traditions don’t get lost in the miles between Syracuse and their home.
Ananya Pimplaska, Hindu Student Association Member: One of the things that my parents were definitely really happy about with me coming here was that I was able to still take part in celebrations like this and have that part still with me.
Ria Shah, Hindu Student Association Member: I was like surprised but also like really happy when I found out that they have this association, like I can come here and it makes me feel a lot closer to like my culture and my religion.
Sarah Schafer: After the ceremony, colors are smeared on the cheeks to express the triumph of good over evil and the arrival of spring. Later, the colors are not only on the face, but everywhere. A small streak of powder today, but a full-blown festival later this spring, because here, home is where the heart and the color is. Sarah Schafer, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — As the Syracuse winter finally begins to thaw, the signs of spring are appearing on campus. While many students are simply enjoying the melting ice and the rare sight of the sun, members of the Hindu Student Association (HSA) are welcoming the season with a deeper, ancient significance.
On a Holika Dahan, a day before Holi, inside Hendricks Chapel, students gathered for a Pooja – a prayer ceremony that serves as the spiritual foundation for the upcoming Festival of Colors.
The Legend of Holika Dahan
While many associate Holi with the high-energy “color fight,” the holiday’s roots lie in the ritual of Holika Dahan, often referred to as “Choti Holi”. This event symbolizes the ultimate victory of good over evil, commemorated through the lighting of a bonfire. According to tradition, the bonfire represents the burning of the demoness Holika, who tried to kill her virtuous nephew, Prahlad. She tried to carry him into a bonfire, believing that she would be unharmed while he would perish. However, the story takes a dramatic turn as Holika was consumed by the flames, while Prahlad emerged unscathed.
Today, lighting the bonfire symbolizes a new beginning and clearing the way for a season of righteousness and renewal. “We pray for the students’ well-being, their midterms, their life, and their career,” says Sanjay Mathur, Chaplain and Advisor to the HSA, “So the evil goes away and the goodness prevails”.
A Global Explosion of Color
Holi is a major Hindu festival celebrated predominantly in India and Nepal, though it has become a global phenomenon in recent years. Traditionally, the streets of major cities like Delhi and Mumbai transform into a “war zone” of joy. Thousands of people gather in open squares and narrow alleys, armed with water guns, water balloons, and bags of dry powder. Every color also has a special, unique meaning.
A Piece of Home on Campus
For many on campus, these ancient rituals provide a sense of belonging while studying away from their families. HSA member Ananya Pimplaska noted that being able to maintain these traditions was a major point of relief for her parents back home. Similarly, Ria Shah shared that finding this community at Syracuse helped her reconnect with her roots, making the university feel like a true home rather than just a place of study.
The ceremony concluded with a symbolic gesture: students smeared small streaks of colored powder on each other’s cheeks. It is a small preview of the full-blown festival set to take over the campus later this spring.