Jackson Free Press

Holi is an ancient Hindu religious festival known as the festival of colors and the festival of love. It has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities. And now, Mangala Maddali, part of the cultural team for the Holi celebration at the Hindu Temple of Mississippi (173 Vernon Jones Ave., Brandon), is looking to spread awareness of the event in our state.

Maddali, 25, has been part of the Hindu Temple of Mississippi since she and her mother, Sreelakshmi Maddali, moved to Clinton from India in 1997, when Mangala was 9 years old. She graduated from Clinton High School and went to Mississippi College, where she majored in biology. She is currently working at University of Mississippi Medical Center and applying for further studies.

Sreelakshmi Maddali is the chairwoman of the cultural committee at HTM. The temple was originally established in 1986. In 2010, the temple's members had a new building with Indianized architecture constructed. The same year, the temple began having Holi celebrations on a larger scale and working to invite the whole community. As members of the cultural committee, the Maddalis are dedicated to coming up with new ways to celebrate the festival, recruiting participants and getting exposure for the event to educate the public.

Holi is celebrated at the approach of the vernal equinox on the night of a full moon. The festival date varies every year due to the nature of the Hindu calendar, but typically comes in March. This year's celebration is Saturday, March 29.

The festival is a religious and cultural celebration representing the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring and the end of winter. Hindus consider it a day to meet and play with others, forgive and forget, and repair ruptured relationships.

Celebrations begin the night before Holi with a bonfire where people gather, sing and dance. The next morning, revelers chase and color each other with dry powder and colored water, often using water guns and water balloons filled with the liquid dye in a free-for-all water fight. In India, the yearly color fights take place in open streets, open parks, and outside of temples and buildings. Groups often carry drums and musical instruments with them, and move from place to place to visit family, friends and even enemies, and to share special Holi food and drinks. People spend the evening dressing up and visiting friends and family.

The Holi celebration at HTM will feature food stalls representing different regions of India, with dishes such as dosa (a fermented crepe or pancake made from rice batter and black lentils), mirchi bajji (a spicy snack consisting of chili peppers and potato stuffing), panipuri (unleavened fried bread balls filled with flavored water, tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas), and more. The celebration will feature face painting, henna tattoos, live music and dancing, and a color fight behind the temple with water guns, water balloons and buckets of colored water available to use.

"I really want people to know this isn't just an event for members of the temple or just for Hindus," Maddali said. "It's not only a religious festival. Everyone I know who comes has fun. People can come for the food, to meet the people, to get a taste of Indian culture or just to have fun in a water balloon fight. I want to encourage everyone to come and see what Holi is like."

The Holi celebration at the Hindu Temple of Mississippi is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call Sreelakshmi Maddali at 601-918-8172.