Holi announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter.

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - The Holi Festival was held on March 23 at Village Green Park in Rancho Cordova. Holi is a popular and significant Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colors, Love, and Spring. The annual celebration involves families and friends smearing powdered colors on each other’s faces and drenching each other in colored water. Even with the sporadic showers and distant thunder looming overhead, it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit or enthusiasm. In a way, the rain became a part of the celebration.

Holi announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter. Pink has become a dominant color during Holi. The color represents compassion and caring. Purple powder is also one of the more popular colors, which represents mystery and magic. The other colors used are red, blue, yellow, green and orange.  Rancho Cordova Vice-Mayor Siri Pulipati said, “This is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. It’s a time of colorful festivities, bringing people together to spread love and happiness. Enjoying Holi reminds us to embrace positivity and share joy with everyone around us.

The celebration is always held on the last full moon day of the Hindu Luni solar calendar. It was sponsored by the Sacramento Telangana Society in association with the Telugu Association of Greater Sacramento, Sacramento Regional Association of Malayalees, Kannada Sangha of Sacramento and the City of Rancho Cordova through the Measure H Community Enhancement and Investment Fund.

What a thrill it is for me as a photographer to have the opportunity to capture the passion of the beautiful people taking part in this colorful holiday. The Holi Festival is definitely my favorite event of the year to photograph. With all the colors and excitement always changing around me, it’s hard to put my camera down. In the beginning everyone is a blank canvas. At the end of the event, everyone has become their own abstract painting.