At home with vibrant colours

As the Holi fervour builds up, we bring you how the expats are celebrating the festival of colours staying away from home
Staying away from home isn’t easy, and when it comes to festive holidays, the longing becomes all the more strong. Some miss the home made sweets, some the camaraderie with their childhood friends. While for some it’s that quintessential essence of their hometown that takes a miss, for others it’s simply the distance from their homes.But the festival of colors is such that brings happiness to everyone, no matter where you celebrate it. And those who have come to Gujarat, for studies or for work, are realizing the same. No matter what their hearts miss, these Holi enthusiasts never miss to feel the pulse of the festival.
It’s only a matter of time as people take on the streets and the excitement takes over. “The festival is so much fun, that even though you miss few things about your hometown, you can never stay away from it,” says Rajan Mishra, a young professional from Allahabad, who has been working in Ahmedabad for three years now.
He adds, “Holi is a big festival back home, and even though it is hard to find that kind of energy and enthusiasm here, I have no complains. The one thing I miss the most is the gujiyas my mother makes.” And the sweetness of traditional sweets and homemade delicacies, it seems, is missed the most. “Since I am from Indore, I miss the traditional food, like papdiya, especially made on Holi,” says Prateek Neema, a young professional living in Surat. He adds, “But Gujarat has never made me feel out of place. No matter where you come from, you always feel at home in Gujarat.”
Seconds Naveed Anujm, who has been a part of Gujarati way of celebrations for over four years saying, “People here are so warm, nice and welcoming that you rarely feel out of place.”
Though nothing can replace the feeling of being at home, friends make it special for those who stay away. Chiranjit Podder, an engineer from Tripura, who has been living in Vadodara for over five years, says, “Staying away from home during festivals is tough, but friends have made it easier. We have a group of friends, who meet at one place and then go to visit other friends and colleagues in the city. It’s great fun!”
Few others have so far away from home, that they have found a new family of friends here. Amit Gohain, who hails from Assam and has been working in Ahmedabad for four years now, says, “If it was not for friends, I don’t think I would stay so far away from home. My friends are my family now and all celebrations, including festivals, are with them. In fact, after coming here I learnt what it is like to celebrate even without family.”
But Holi is a true festival for bonding and making new friends, and such is the fun, that those who have come from outside of India find themselves in the middle of action. Fabien Besserer, a young German student who is in Vadodara for internship, is eagerly looking forward to celebrating the festival. He says, “I am very excited about the festival because I have heard so much about it. I love the way people throw colors at each other and feel that celebrating a festival like this is a wonderful way of spreading happiness.”
There are few things in life where distance only remains in the mind. And when it comes to Holi, you can never stay ‘away’ from the festivities.