“Holi Haiiiii “ that’s the shout that was heard in the hostel corridors from early morning. It was a day that doesn’t need any reason further to make it more special and happening. But we had some couple of extra reasons added to it to spice up the celebrations a little more and take it a notch above. Birthday of two of the batchmates today made them the natural choice to take the lead and start this celebration. And then the reason that not even 24 hours have passed which marked the end of the first year of MBA life at IIFT pumped in us the much needed extra dose of adrenaline to celebrate this festival of colors with a little bit more of fervor and joy.
With all the excitement and all the buzz created. It was necessary to apply all the strategic management and marketing tools learnt in the course to make it a bigger and more successful. We had colors, we had balloons and we had thandai. Yes, the checklist had been prepared and cross checked to not to miss out on anything. Though the above mentioned were in limited quantity we had our beloved mother Earth with its abundant supply of love and ‘soil’ and plethora of experience in which it has seen many a batch play Holi in the place some doing it for the first time in their life. But one thing that was common was the smiles shared and the happiness spread.
It was the best and most joyous of time. It was a chance for silliness, it was a chance at ruthlessness, it was the epoch of wildness, it was the epoch of insanity, of immersing in the fun and not leaving a single face uncolored…it was a memory of a lifetime, it was the Holi at IIFT.
And so I sum up one of the most cherished celebrations in a few lines just as Charles Dickens did an entire novel. Holi at IIFT was an epitome of what the festival stands for- color, vibrancy, happiness, friendship and unlimited fun. The otherwise gentlemen and ladies in their formal suits and blazers were out in the sun today in clothes so rugged, in hair so messy and in hearts so delighted. At first it was difficult to recognize those green and pink and red faces from a distance, and going closer only meant having the same colors on yours. But witnessing such frolic from a distance was not an option and ultimately you end up becoming a part of all the rowdiness, just to find yourself suddenly drenched from head to toe in the ‘special holi formulation’, Once colored yourself in a wide variety of gulaal, it was now about planning to do it unto the remaining clean faces who had just entered the arena. The colors, the songs and the dance were all in the air!
Is it not a blessing to have such fun with your batch mates and enjoy every moment of it? Is it not mesmerizing to feel so enthralled with all those colorful faces, being so drowned in happiness? As I look back at my day, I muse to myself- ‘The colors will wash away in a few days but the memories shall stay for a long time’.
This Holi which remains to be the first and last Holi of MBA life for me and for all our batch mates is something very special and will always find a place in the list of one of the most memorable Holi I had ever played since childhood. The pranks played of throwing colors on friends coming out after getting cleaned up to frighten them just to enjoy those fun filled moments and laugh at them sometimes later while we relish these beautiful memories in the future sometimes.
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This article has been written by Shruti Pant & Deepti Singh Chauhan student of MBA (IB) 2015-17 Batch IIFT Delhi.
