On Saturday, Stanford celebrated Holi — a Hindu festival of colors, love and spirit — with clouds of colored powder and Bollywood beats echoing across Sand Hill Fields.
Jay Gupta ’26
I am standing still in Sand Hill Fields surrounded by friends and strangers splashing color and dancing to music. I will join them soon, but for now, I am taking in the moment. It is the culmination of months of planning and coordination with the Department of Public Safety, the Office of Student Engagement, vendors and others. It is also my fourth and final year in this field. I am reminded of the friends who are here and the friends who are not. I draw my attention to the smiles, cheers and silliness that makes today Holi, even if it’s a month past. I feel myself start to smile as I start to run into the crowd.
Maanya Govil ’28
Holi is a time of pure community. Friends and strangers alike run around the field, all barriers lowered, leaving a wake of color and laughter as they celebrate. During Holi, everyone is family. Having spent months coordinating logistics between dozens of vendors, staff and students, it was incredible to see our work be able to bring so much joy to the entire Stanford and Bay Area community.
Keshav Saigal ’26
Stanford Spring. Sunny Saturday. A whole day of possibilities. So many events spread across campus. Countless ways to enjoy. How can you possibly choose? Easy. You pick Holi every time. Doesn’t matter what day of the year it falls, doesn’t matter what other commitments you have, doesn’t matter how much work you need to get back to. Holi is the best. Color everywhere, Akash singing, Stanford EMS on standby, bhangra bhangra-ing. It was a blast, will always be a blast, and you don’t miss it. Fate of the universe on the line, the Martians have the death beam pointed at Earth — I want Holi.
Akash Shah ’26
Around the world, Holi is the Festival of Colors — a festival to celebrate the arrival of springtime and harvest. At Stanford, it is much more. Stanford Holi is the day the entire campus gets together to enjoy the beauty of colors. Vibrant smiles can be seen from every corner of Sand Hill Fields, and the excitement of spring quarter is palpable in the air. Organized by Stanford Asha for Education, Stanford Holi is actually a fundraiser to support underprivileged education in India. By raising money through Holi, we bring joy not only to the Stanford and Bay Area communities, but also to the underprivileged kids in India who now have the means to attain an education.
Akul Shrivastava ’28
Holi means something different to everyone. To some, it is a playful day of throwing colors at friends; to others, a celebration of spring’s arrival; to yet others, a commemoration of the divine love of Hindu Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha; and to even more, a day honoring the legendary Holika’s triumph over evil. I resonate deeply with all of these views; to me, Holi is a celebration of the joys, triumphs, and wonders of life, shared not only with our beloved friends and family, but with the wider community as well.
Sagar Shah — Staff
