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<\/a>\u201cThere is the story about Holi, and then there is the story about Holi Toledo, and the two are very much connected,\u201d said Dr. Yonatan Miller, director of the Center for Religious Understanding. <\/p>\n\u201cHoli is a popular springtime festival that is celebrated with great fanfare in India; this year it was celebrated March 13. It is a colorful celebration \u2014 both cultural and religious \u2014 of the change of seasons and the triumph of good over evil. And, significantly, it is also a time when, at least for one day, all people are considered equals; the usual social hierarchy is suspended,\u201d Miller explained.<\/p>\n
During a typical Holi celebration, people smear each other with colors and colored water is thrown, drenching anyone and everyone. The festivals also include song, dance, food and drinks.<\/p>\n
Holi Toledo was the brainchild of Dr. Jeanine Diller, former director of the Center for Religious Understanding. The event, which draws on the festivity, color and seasonal meaning of the holiday, has the blessing of the Hindu Temple of Toledo.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoli Toledo also serves a more immediate purpose here in the UT community, which is to highlight our diversity, promote unity, and foster improved understanding of the religions represented on campus,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n
In addition to the colors, there will be music, dancing and a T-shirt giveaway sponsored by the Center for International Studies and Programs.<\/p>\n
Miller also gave details on how the peer learning experience that is unique to this event cultivates religious understanding: \u201cIn order to obtain packs of color to throw periodically during the event, participants must first approach tables staffed by the myriad of UT\u2019s religious and cultural student organizations and ask a question, start a conversation, or have a meaningful interaction. My students know that as a teacher, I am always looking for ways to get them talking, and the incentive of the color packs is a fun way for us to jump-start conversations and create the foundations for longer term dialogue.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy hope is that the interactions that students have with their peers serve to improve their religious literacy, and, as a consequence, their understanding of the religious \u2018other.\u2019 This is one of the outcomes that I, as a professor of religion, seek in the classroom, in the context of formal education. To do this in a fun, informal and social environment is a nice complement to the more formal manner in which religion is usually approached in a university context.\u201d<\/p>\n
The significance of the event and its unique festivities have made it a favorite among students.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo have Holi celebrated on campus is such a beautiful sight to see,\u201d said Hima Katrapati, a UT senior studying biology and finance, who is a native of Hyderabad, India. \u201cThere are so many people from different cultures who come out to celebrate ours and share memories with each other. Even though many people don\u2019t know the meaning behind it, many people ask questions and try to gain the true meaning of Holi.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holi Toledo will take place Thursday, April 27, from 3 to 5 p.m. on the grounds outside Memorial Field House. The event originally was scheduled for this week, but has been pushed back one week due to the weather forecast.<\/p>\n