Iowa State’s Indian Students Association invites students to attend their Holi event on April 14, 2013 to celebrate a traditional Indian holiday.

The event will take place on Central Campus starting at 10 a.m. All students are encouraged to attend free of charge.

Holi is a two-day Indian festival that is based on an old Hindu story symbolizing the death of evil and the coming of the spring season.

On the first day, communities gather and a bonfire is lit during the night.

“That’s how we celebrate the death of evil, the burning of evil,” said Rohit Zambre, junior in electrical engineering and Indian Students Association president.

The next day is the festival of colors; when a new, fertile season is celebrated.

“The next day everyone throws water on each other. They throw colors, and they drink a special beverage,” said Gauri Ramasubramanian, materials science and engineering graduate student and member of the Indian Students Association. “It’s that time of the year when everything starts to look beautiful and the colors are basically signifying the abundance that we see.”

The powdered colors are the most well-known aspect of the Holi festival. Zambre said the Indian Students association will be using organic, biodegradable colors from a special company that colors the powders.

Ramasubramanian said the second day of the festival is the time when all members of traditionally orthodox Indian communities come together to celebrate.

“It’s like playing ball here,” Ramasubramanian said, using an analogy to show how the throwing of the colors allows people to interact joyfully and playfully with each other.

This sense of community is what Holi festival-goer Noelle Brockhoff experienced. Brockhoff, senior in journalism and former photographer for the Daily, was taking pictures at the Holi festival two years ago when she “had to stop, put [her] camera down, and … play.”

“I spent half the time actually cleaning the powder out of my camera,” Brockhoff said.

Brockhoff said that the light-heartedness of the group led her to celebrate with them.

“I just gave in when they constantly asked me to play. It wasn’t like ‘come participate,’ or ‘come be there.’ It was ‘come play,’” Brockhoff said.

The eager welcome from the Indian Students Association is what Brockhoff believes will attract students and non-members.

“It’s basically so enveloping and welcoming,” Brockhoof said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re Indian or American or Canadian or Mexican. Everyone just has a great time.”

The Indian Students Association will host the event on April 14 hoping students will come appreciate another culture and get to know their traditions.

“It’s basically family time for me; everyone who is there is family,” Ramasubramanian said.