prince puja

This is just a quick pre-Holi post of some photos. Today is Holi (the festival of Colors), so I don't have a lot of time right now.

This is a sweet shop that  I went to a few days ago. Sweets are very big in India, especially around festivals.

This is my Mom (who's here now for a couple weeks!) holding a flower that we saw on one of our outtings.

My cousins and I went to a market a couple nights ago and these men were already in the Holi spirit throwing color on each other and having a good time. There was a bag of color laying on the floor that wasn't totally empty so I picked it up to put a little dot on my forehead, but one of the men saw me doing it so he took the bag and poured some in his hands and kind of gestured to make sure it was ok with me and then just put it all over my face. And then another man came up and put some more! My first real taste of Holi.

Then we ate corn on the cob with lemon and spices. So good! Indian food is seriously to die for.

Yesterday, puja got to watch a puja! My cousins do one every month at their house just for good energy, etc. So I got to experience it with them. A pandit came to the house and performed the puja.

This is the little altar the set up. (Notice the pandit's cellphone. Everyone here has one!)

A bracelet that we saw at my cousin's jewelry shop.

One of my cousins after he came back from a Holi party with his friends. He had already cleaned up but notice all the color that didn't wash off. I'm getting really excited for today!

As we drove last night, there were quite a few little fires like this for the night before Holi. It's all part of the tradition and goes along with the story (which I don't have time to fully explain right now).

So, Happy Holi and expect photos from today! This is my first festival that I get to experience in India so hopefully it will be one to remember!

Peace.