PENNSYLVANIA: A major public research-intensive university, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State, PSU), celebrated Holi festival with gusto in University Park campus on March 25 with an elephant present.
Penn State South Asian Student Association (SASA) created in 1960 “to promote South Asian culture” had scheduled Holi from 11 am to four pm in HUB lawn of the Penn State campus and where the colors were provided. There was live DJ and performances by dance teams-Penn State Sher Bhangra, Penn State Ghaamudyaz, Penn State JaDhoom, R.A.M. Squad; and cultural booths.
This was the first time for an elephant to be present at the Holi celebrations, which were dubbed as “a great celebration full of friends, colors, music.” SASA was reportedly created in 1960 “to promote South Asian culture”.
PSU, founded in 1855, claimed to be ranked as one of the world’s top universities, has 24 campuses with around 100,000 students. It offers about 410 doctorate, graduate, baccalaureate, associate and professional degrees.
The festival of Holi welcomes the beginning of spring and starts about ten days before the full moon of Phalguna. Besides color play, ceremonies also include the lighting of bonfires, during which all evils are symbolically burnt. Holi also commemorates the frolics of youthful Lord Krishna and celebrates the death of demoness Putana, burning of demoness Holika and destruction of Kama by Lord Shiva. Holi fell on March 13 this year.
Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, commended efforts of SASA and the campus Hindu community for keeping the religion-culture alive in Penn State by organizing such celebrations. He thanked PSU President Dr. Eric J. Barron and PSU Trustees Chairman Ira M. Lubert for university support to Holi festival.
He also welcomed the presence of elephant at the celebrations in the context that Elephant-headed Lord Ganesha was worshipped in Hinduism as god of wisdom, remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.
Neela Pandya
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