UTAH, USA: March 30, 2008: A fusion of colors exploded on the east side of the majestic white Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork Saturday evening as thousands celebrated the Festival of Colors, one of the most important Hindu holidays of the year. To rejoice in the coming of spring and the victory of good over evil, natives of India, Hindus, Utah County residents and BYU students chucked bags of purple, green, pink, yellow, blue and silver chalk at each other.
“It was really intense,” said Cristine Vallone, who moved to Provo nine months ago. “You couldn’t breathe at all, but it was really fun though. It was just a blinding mess of color.” For 15 minutes the crowd was lost in a pink-tinged cloud after people began to toss colors. The throwing of the colors “is to signify that people are the same,” said Marish Bansal, a native of India. “Nobody is bigger or smaller. We are all children of God.”
The festival “is a very big part of the religion,” said Rajnikant Shalma, a Hindu from India. “It’s good for friendship. Even if you are enemies on that day you are friends.”