Holi Moli rings in the spring with colorful festival

Holi Moli! No, it’s not the expression of surprise or dismay, it’s the South Asian color-filled festival held to ring in the spring season around the world. Holi, as it’s traditionally called, is a Hindu celebration marking the victory of good over evil, and here at UNC, it’s commemorated by color-coated students all gathering together. 

According to the event description, about one in every four first year students attends Holi Moli, and students usually attend it at least once in their four years at Carolina. Holi Moli will take place Friday at Hooker Fields and excitement has been expressed by many students across campus, from those planning the event to those with whom it holds a special religious meaning.

There are a couple of reasons for the festival, said first-year Diksha Joshi, who is Hindu. The first is spring's arrival and the blooming it brings which is why colors are used in the celebration. 

“The other is a mythological explanation. Basically, there was a female demon who wanted to burn this child," said Joshi. "Since the child believed in God, the child didn’t burn, but the demon who had the ability to not burn in fire ended up burning.”

Joshi said in India, the celebration is extremely large. Thousands of people go to temple and the religious heads spray everyone with colorful water on the holiday. 

“I celebrate it every year with my family. Colored water is usually a big thing for it,” Joshi said. “We go to the temple, dress the idols in colorful clothes, and the church is decorated in a lot of colors.”

For some students, Holi extends from its religious origin and takes on a whole new meaning as the UNC celebration of Holi Moli.

“Here at UNC we call it Holi Moli as a sort of play on words, and we celebrate it to strengthen our campus community’s unity and diversity and to bring everyone together,”  said Holi Moli co-director Rishi Sharma.

Sharma said Holi Moli has taken place at UNC for about 10 years, and students have a wonderful time every year.

“Holi Moli started out as an event planned between four religious organizations," said Holi Moli's co-director Saumya Goel. "But over the years it's become more than just this specific event. This year, we did a couple of cultural events around the year to point out the significance of Southeast Asian culture.”

The tradition of attending Holi Moli is right on the list with many other UNC must-dos. According to The Daily Tar Heel’s “UNC Bucket List,” it is considered essential to do at UNC before graduation.

“Carol Folt will be there. We’ll have some food vendors, music and a booth to educate students about what the event is about, so they’ll realize it's more than just a Color Run without the run,” Goel said.

At Holi Moli, students go to Hooker Fields dawned in all white or other light colored clothing. They then throw colorful powder in the air to symbolize the arrival of spring and its myriad of colors. 

“We give out color packets, and at 5, they throw it up to celebrate Holi,” Sharma said. “You douse someone else with color, and it shows that, at the end of the day, we’re all so similar.”

Sharma said it’s definitely an event all UNC students should experience before they graduate, and it’s a great way to commemorate the year as it winds to a close. He also said all of the proceeds from the event go to the The Gandhi Foundation, as well as the Campus Y fund for social justice-oriented organizations who need financial support.

“We want to have everyone come together at the end of the year put away all their worries,” Sharma said.

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