Photography by: Praveen Sahay

Festival of Colors- Holi

This traditional illustration depicts Krishna, hero of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, celebrating Holi with his divine consort, Radha. Squirt guns loaded with dyed water are used to douse celebrants with color, a playful tradition that continues to this day.

Sunanda Sahay

Though I have been practicing and teaching Mithila, or Madhubani, art for two decades, my love affair with this art form started much earlier. I grew up in Mithila, a region in North Bihar, India, where this art took form centuries ago. From early childhood, I absorbed the nuances of the narratives, symbolism, and deep cultural meaning of this ancient artform. I learned the traditions and rituals that are frequently depicted in Mithila paintings. The symbolism behind each motif, the vibrant color scheme, and the spectacular stories from ancient times have always grabbed attention. The artform that went from walls to papers, from natural colors to chemicals and from ancient stories to contemporary subjects intrigued me. It continues to evolve to reflect the changing life patterns, as any living artform does, yet it continues to reinforce the eternal values and truths. Mithila art has a special place in my heart and life.

Holi

Holi (Sanskrit: होली Holī) is a Hindu spring festival that is celebrated across the Indian subcontinent and by the greater South Asian diaspora across the world. Aside from being the festival of colors, Holi is a time to celebrate unbridled joy, love, and the triumph of good over evil. Through visual art, this installation highlights some of the spirit and traditions associated with Holi such as throwing colored powdered and spraying colored water through pichkari at friends and family and poojas (religious ceremonies).

This collection is the result of generous donations from the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, the MGH Department of Dermatology, and the MGH Employee Resource Group Leaders Group.