Rajasthan Diaries: Pre-Holi Celebrations

Turban days

A day before holi is "mala gholai" where the sister ties a holy thread around the brother's wrist in order to protect him for devil's eyes. I don't exactly know why they do this but it is a great way for everybody to gather at one place and have a good time. There are obviously a lot of shenanigans and laughter and then everybody eats the traditional food together. Since there are so many sisters and brothers here, as you know it is a huge family, it takes away pretty much all afternoon to finish this ritual. In the evening, everybody goes for Holi Ka Dahan which I will explain in the next post. For now, enjoy the pictures and take a look at a short writing I wrote:


Mouths stuffed with ghee sweets, smile drawn on every face, a train of kids run across the house and the loud jokes fill the house. Smothered by younger cousins and hugged tightly by nanis (maternal grand mom), my heart finally knew where it belonged. Overwhelmed with love, I sank into the moment.