Colors Fly From Jersey City To Hoboken During Holi Hai Festival

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The Jersey City and Hoboken waterfronts were filled with colors and smiling faces on Saturday during the Holi Hai Festival. Hosted by Rimli Roy and Surati for Performing Arts, the festival started at Liberty State Park in Jersey City for a color run and ended in Hoboken.

This year was the 13th anniversary of the festival that is traditionally celebrated in spring. The Holi Hai is a Hindu festival that celebrates the joys of love and the victory of good over evil. The festival also celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha Krishna.

Dozens of people spread throughout Hoboken's Pier A to dress their neighbors in colored powders and dance to the cycle of Surati performers taking the stage. Anand Rao of East Brunswick, one of the many color-filled patrons, is no stranger to Holi. He used to emcee the event years ago when it was held in Exchange Place in Jersey City. On Saturday, he was just a happy patron who happened to be celebrating his birthday on the most colorful day of the year.

"Growing up in India, Holi meant the victory of good over evil, but coming over here it has a whole new meaning," Rao said.

Veronica Negron and Cornell Christian from Jersey City on the other hand, were celebrating their first Holi festival.

"It's great to see everybody from different nationalities and different cultures come together," Christian said, "We love Indian culture, and we live in Jersey City where it's very diverse, we just love it."

Holi is, perhaps, India's most popular festival where participants throw color at each other in a celebration of the seasons, brotherhood and unity. Though Holi has its roots in traditional Indian mythology, this secular festival celebrates inclusion and unity.

Check out photos and some of the colorful faces that celebrated Holi Hai: