It commemorates the death of the demoness Holika.
It is the day that foreign visitors hide away.
Reason being that the Hindu people buy on “Holi” coloured powder that they throw at each other.
They also have water pistols and plastic bags with water they launch at each other.
This under the influence of alcohol or “Bhaang”, a kind of marijuana people buy at the Hindu temples.
If foreigners appear in the streets they are the most beloved targets.
They get the full load to the amusement of the Indians.
The coloured powder is known to cause skin diseases and when a plastic bag with water hits the head, it can knock out a grown man.
“Holi” is maybe lots of fun for Indian people, but foreigners tend to stay away from it.
The team of the project “The most beautiful people in the world” wants to be productive anyway.
There is the target to document at least one person a day.
Therefore an appointment is made with a young girl of a wealthy family this afternoon.
A taxi will pick up the team on the compound of the Hare Krishna temple and deliver in front of the house of the girl.
Of course all windows of the taxi will be closed.
Yesterday two most beautiful persons were documented.
One was a 9-year-old girl who had an extraordinary aura.
A vitality and happiness rarely seen.
She was from a Christian family of impressing decency.
A family that would also hide in their house during the Hindu “Holi” colour smashing.
The girl was called Steffi and in a most serious conversation she explained why she was feeling she was the most beautiful:
“I asked God so many times to become a nun.
Therefore, I don’t want to marry and have children because I will need all my time to take care of the poor and the sick.”
It makes one think when a 9-year-old girl makes such a statement.
The second person was a 42-year-old widow.
The team was invited to her home where she lived with her obese 18-year-old daughter.
Immediately the team was pampered with Indian sweets and tea.
And stories how the family of her deceased husband had taken away everything from her.
Even her house.
Now she was trying to make a living as a journalist and actress.
A very strong and beautiful woman who said:
“I believe in myself and in the God inside me.
This helps to achieve all the goals in my life”.
In the evening at headquarters was a meeting with the well-known writer and journalist Rajendar Menen.
Headquarters for the team is a table in a simple beach restaurant.
It is there that evaluations are made and people met.
Rajendar Menen is full of enthusiasm for the project “The most beautiful people in the world” and one day next week he will join the team for s search in the Mumbai slums.
To find a person believing to be the most beautiful person.
Presuming that somebody living in deep poverty might feel beautiful nevertheless.
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To learn more about Rajendar Menen, click on:
http://kimmaharaj.tripod.com/
and
http://www.lifepositive.com/Spirit/Sri_Aurobindo/Divine_Anarchy42006.asp
Pictures on this posting by © Marjolein van Veen, 2008.
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