If you land in India anytime in late February or March, it's wise to check the dates of the annual Holi festival and bring a spare set of clothes. That's because for a few days in spring, people crowd the streets and pelt (投掷) anyone walking by with brightly-colored powder to celebrate the arrival of spring and the end of evil. It's hard to avoid the fun and the paint, unless you stay inside or look angry enough to discourage the custom.
"Watch out, madam!" said my taxi driver in Amritsar as we drove through a crowd of young people pelting each other with powder. "The colors never come out of your clothes," he said. "And you might be having purple hair for many days."
I did a quick check. I was wearing black, a color rarely seen in India. It is usually connected with the lowest social classes, and can be viewed as unlucky. I was happy for my clothes to be painted in colors.
"I have some powder I bought for my children. You can have some gladly, to join in our customs." he encouraged. Holding what the driver handed me as my weapon of choice, I walked into the Holi smoke. At first people politely avoided foreigners. But then a girl in a sari(一种印度服饰) ran up smiling and put paint on my face. I returned the favor with a handful of pink.
With its brilliant clothes, exotic flowers, trucks covered with lights and brightly painted pictures of gods, India is truly one of the most colorful places on the planet!