Holi: How Long Island is celebrating

Abhay Pisharody, 8, is jump-up-and-down excited to douse his friends and family in colors during the annual Hindu festival of Holi coming up at the end of March.

"Getting people wet and cold and getting colors on my mom and attacking everyone with colors; that’s the best part!" says the third-grader from Setauket. "Agreed," confirms his sixth-grade sister, Ananya, 11. She adds, "It’s a once-in-a-year opportunity."

The siblings are students in Three Village School District, but they are also students at Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Long Island (HTCCLI) in Selden, where on the weekends they learn the stories, prayers, songs and other traditions of Hinduism alongside youngsters from all over Suffolk County. And at this time of year, just when spring fever is starting to hit, Holi comes along and gives everyone a reason to play.

HTCCLI is among many Hindu temples that will be celebrating Holika Dahan — a ceremony where devotees circle a small bonfire, mentally casting any resentments or wrongdoings into the flame so that only pure thoughts remain. It's followed by Holi — the Festival of Colors, in which followers sprinkle and spray their fellow congregants with colored powders and water to welcome the spring with clean hearts and minds.

Given the messy nature of the festival, it usually takes place outdoors. These events are open to the public. And, like virtually every celebration in Hinduism, there will be extensive vegetarian food. Long Island’s temples tend to be very diverse, so both the attendees and the food represent many regions of India.

“This time we hope to take the gas burners outdoors,” says HTCCLI general secretary Shobha Karuvakkat, 50, of Commack. “We are trying to do dosa and bhajjis (pepper fritters) and puffed poori. We don’t need fast food here!” Expect street food like chaat and samosas as well; dishes will range from $7-$10. Sales of food will benefit the temple; they would like to move out from their second story strip mall quarters and into a building of their own soon.

Abhay and Ananya’s mom, Sandhya Muralidharan, originally from Mumbai, is grateful for the community. “It is nice for us in Suffolk County that we have this center,” she says. “Our children get to celebrate a slice of the life we had when we were little; we can share that with our children, so when they come here they feel they are coming home.”

This year Holika Dahan falls on March 24, followed by Holi on March 25. In India, Holi would be a holiday, but local temples will accommodate the American workweek, and adjust their schedule. At HTCCLI Holika Dahan will be followed by Holi on the same day, March 24. Festivities are free to the public.

Farther west, in Central Islip, Bhavani Shankara Mandir will split up the two events. On March 24, they will light a fire outside for the Holika Dahan observances, which will include traditional Holi chautaal — Hindustani classical singing and music — then go inside the marble laid temple for a complimentary meal. The mandir’s congregation includes many folks from Guyana and Trinidad, which is reflected in the menu, says temple leader Pandit (Father) Chandradeo Mohan. “We’ll have a vegetarian meal of rice, curry, paneer and other things; it will be a combination of West and East. It’s a blessing that the mandir has both.”

The Festival of Colors will take place the following Saturday, March 30, following normal Sunday services which end at 11:30 a.m. “The festival will start around noon; then we will play with colors,” says Pandit Mohan. In addition to the colors, the temple hopes to include water balloons and water pistols.

And of course: food. “Holi has a lot of sweets,” Pandit Mohan says. “We will have gulgula (plantain fritters), vegetable fried rice, chow mein, malpua, which is a sweet cake; kheer (rice pudding). Food plays a great role; anytime you have food, people leave happy.”

Asa’Mai Hindu Temple is at the heart of the large South Asian community in Hicksville. Founded by Afghan immigrants, like other temples, its community is open to all. The Holika Dahan fire will be lit on March 24, accompanied by Vedic mantras for all the deities. “We will be asking for their blessings for family and friends. To be purified, you walk around the fire repeating the mantras,” says Pandit Pipalmani Sigdel of Nepal, the main priest at Asa’Mai. The pandits will also offer tika — ash  applied between the eyebrows to symbolize the fire — followed by red kumkum powder to symbolize the victory over evil. Burfi, a sweet milk cake, will be shared.

Asa’Mai’s Holi festival will be celebrated the following Sunday, from about 12-12:30. “There will be singing and there might be dancing,” says Nanda Sundri, temple secretary and teacher. “In the temple we will do flowers: marigolds, chrysanthemums, roses to ‘play Holi,’ and then we will go outside to play with the colors.” Then there will be a shared meal in the temple’s ample new events hall.

Back at HTCCLI in Selden, the kids are looking forward to all of it.

“It’s all about having fun,” says Stuti Prabhu, 11, a student at Great Hollow Middle School. Ananya Pisharody concurs. “It’s the best festival of the year. Normally you get in trouble for making a mess. But here, they are giving you the colors to make a mess!”