Rainy forecast didn't prevent the campus from celebrating the Hindu festival of colors
Elon University’s 13th Holi celebration looked a little different this year. Instead of tossing vibrant paint powders, students, faculty and staff filled the air with colorful flower petals and marigolds.
On April 25, the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast. Despite the change of plans, the event remained both fun and deeply meaningful for the 125 participants and the multifaith interns who helped organize the celebration.
“Although it is not the Holi everyone expected, I am so happy with how it turned out,” shared intern Ahron Frankel, who is also a member of the campus Hindu community. “Despite big changes and new traditions, it was a joy to meaningfully educate the Elon community about Holi. Despite us being in the minority here at Elon, it always makes me incredibly proud to see how eager people are to learn and celebrate. Seeing everyone come together was so fulfilling!”
The evening began with an educational presentation, followed by reflections and stories from students and a performance by Surtal, Elon’s Bollywood dance team. After a lively countdown, attendees joyfully flung handfuls of brightly colored petals into the air inside the sacred space of the Numen Lumen Pavilion.
“’One wonderful thing about our multifaith festival series is that there’s always an opportunity to learn something new,” said Hillary Zaken, director of Multifaith Programming and Engagement at the Truitt Center. “The rain forecast gave us a chance to reimagine a beloved tradition in a way that was still meaningful and fun. Late last night, I was in conversation with colleagues about how we could celebrate indoors, and I learned about a tradition I hadn’t encountered before: Phoolon ki Holi, or Holi with flowers. It’s a vibrant celebration held a few days before the main Holi festival, where people shower one another with flower petals instead of colored powder. Like the powder, the flowers symbolize love, joy, and the arrival of spring.”
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
On April 25, 2025 the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted an indoor version of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, due to an unpredictable weather forecast.
The Truitt Center, which supports and engages the Elon community with the wisdom of the world’s religious, spiritual and ethical traditions, has hosted Holi celebrations on campus for 13 years. Part of the center’s mission includes curating authentic and educational celebrations of global holidays like Holi, and continuing to adapt these festivals to meet the needs of the growing and increasingly diverse campus community.
This year’s event was shaped by the work of second-year multifaith intern Morgan Williams, and first-year interns Ahron Frankel and Lizeth Torres-Tomas. In preparation, they spent time connecting with Hindu and South Asian members of the Elon community, learning about Holi’s history, the meaning behind the holiday, and the symbolism of its colors.
Work with the campus community was a highlight of intern Lizeth Torres-Tomas’s learning about the holiday:
“Celebrating Holi not only matters to members of the Hindu community, but the manner in which it extends to the Indian diaspora as a whole,” said Torres-Tomas. “Holi is a time where many come together, regardless of religious, social, or cultural identities, to celebrate unity. Through the rich conversations I had with students, they proved essential in providing culturally appropriate alternatives to our last-minute changes. Because of this, I believe our event was a success due to the inclusion of new traditions; showcasing these traditions and our resilience in bringing this event to life highlights the key role of student voices in creating inclusive and meaningful spaces.”
Along with the joyful petal toss, participants created colorful Rangoli designs, made paper marigolds, colored mandalas and bookmarks, received mehndi (henna) designs from student volunteers, flew colorful kites on PBK Commons and sampled traditional Indian candies and delicious appetizers.
“This year, planning Holi required quick thinking and presented us with a new challenge,” said Morgan Williams, who contributed to planning Holi for the second year in a row. “Our team was dedicated to offering an enjoyable alternative to those who celebrate Holi and this was the first indoor Holi celebration at Elon was born. It was wonderful to come together creatively as a community and have fun!”
Participants left the celebration enriched by the educational experience and ready to carry the spirit of Holi into the weekend ahead, hands decorated with henna, and with flower petals in their hair.