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New Brunswick Free Public Library Presents:

Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors

The New Brunswick Free Public Library held its 13th annual Indian Holi Festival on April 2, 2022, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in partnership with New Brunswick Cultural Center Inc. and Rutgers Indian Graduate Student Association.
The New Brunswick Free Public Library held its 13th annual Indian Holi Festival on April 2, 2022, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in partnership with New Brunswick Cultural Center Inc. and Rutgers Indian Graduate Student Association. Watch the recording on YouTube!
The Indian Holi Festival is an annual spring staple that many of our library patrons and community members across New Jersey celebrate.
The Indian Holi Festival is an annual spring staple that many of our library patrons and community members across New Jersey celebrate. Watch our 2021 Virtual Festival on YouTube

You are Invited*

Please join us for a vibrant, fun-filled celebration of the Indian festival of colors! This program is free and open to all ages. There will be music and dance performances, henna, children's activities, and Holi color play! (*Check back for details for the next festival!)
Thank you to all who made this year's festival a success!
View our Flickr album for the 2022 festival here.

Before the outdoor festival, we had a virtual painting workshop by professional artist Medha on Friday, March 25th at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
View our Flickr album for the 2022 virtual painting workshop here.

Please contact librarian Kavita Pandey at kavita@lmxac.org or 732-745-5108 x20 with any questions.

New Brunswick Free Public Library

What is Holi?

Holi has been celebrated in India for centuries, going back to the 4th century CE. It is celebrated on the day after the last full moon of the Hindu month of Phalguna. Phalguna falls between late February and early March. Known as the festival of colors, Holi celebrates the arrival of spring and thanksgiving for a good harvest. In 2021, Holi begins March 28.

Holi's Social Significance

Holi helps to bring the society together and strengthen our country. This festival is also celebrated by non-Hindus, as anyone can be part of this colorful and joyous festival. The tradition during Holi is that even enemies turn friends and forget any hardship that may be present. During Holi there is no difference between rich and poor, everyone celebrates the festival with a spirit of friendliness and brotherhood. On the evening of Holi, people visit friends and family. They exchange gifts, sweets, and greetings. This helps in renewing relationships and strengthening emotional bonds between people. The festival of Holi is predominantly a festival of fun.

Holi Legend

The name Holi comes from “Holika”, the sister of demon King “Hiranyakashyap” There are different versions of Holi’s origin. One popular version of the story is that Holi celebrates the Hindu god Krishna and the legend of Holika and Prahlad. In this story the evil king Hiranyakashipu became so powerful that he forced his kingdom to worship him as their god. Even though the king forced everyone to worship him, his son Prahlada continued to be an avid devotee of the Hindu deity Lord Vishnu. The angry king conspired with his sister, Holika, to kill his son. Holika was immune to fire. She tricked Prahlada to sit in a pyre with her. When the pyre was lit, the boy’s devotion to Lord Vishnu helped him walk away unharmed while Holika burned to death despite her immunity. This is the victory of good versus evil. [Source: https://www.holifestival.org/legend-holika-prahlad.html]

Tabla is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. It has been a principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music.
2018 Tabla Performance by Taalim School of Indian Music
Tabla is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. It has been a principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music.
People play with colors during Holi because it is believed that Lord Krishna used to celebrate Holi with colors. He used to play Holi with his friends, playing pranks all across the village, making the celebration a community event.
2019 Holi Color Play in front of New Brunswick Free Public Library
People play with colors during Holi because it is believed that Lord Krishna used to celebrate Holi with colors. He used to play Holi with his friends, playing pranks all across the village, making the celebration a community event. The Legend of Radha-Krishna →
Mehndi is the Indian henna tattoo that is applied to the hands. This is a temporary tattoo that plays varied roles in Indian culture. After henna is applied and dries off, it leaves an ornate, brownish orange design which will stay on for a few days.
Mehndi
Mehndi is the Indian henna tattoo that is applied to the hands. This is a temporary tattoo that plays varied roles in Indian culture. After henna is applied and dries off, it leaves an ornate, brownish orange design which will stay on for a few days. Mehndi on the New World Encyclopedia →
New Brunswick Free Public Library

Recognition for New Brunswick Free Public Library's Holi Festival

Our library's Holi Festival has received several recognitions, and it has been named as one of the top 10 places to celebrate Holi festival in the world!

The State of New Jersey General Assembly in 2013 and 2015 also passed proclamations acknowledging and paying tribute to our library's Holi Festival.

New Brunswick Free Public Library was selected as a winner of the 2018 Multicultural Program Award. According to the New Jersey State Library, the Multicultural Award “recognizes library programs that increase understanding and promote diversity and multiculturalism in New Jersey’s libraries. The ultimate goal of the program is to share the libraries’ programs as models for inspiration and adaptation by other libraries.”

USA Today: 10 Great Places to Celebrate Hindu Festival of Holi

Tap Into New Brunswick: New Brunswick Public Library Celebrates Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors

Grant Credits

“Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.”