Ranis and Roses: Celebrating Holi in Selvedge

Each spring, as the Hindu month of Phalguna draws to a close, India erupts in colour. This year, on 3 and 4 March, Holi unfolds over two days of ritual and revelry that mark both an ending and a renewal. On the night of the full moon, communities gather for Holika Dahan, lighting ceremonial bonfires that symbolise the triumph of good over evil. By morning, the atmosphere shifts from the contemplative glow of firelight to the joyous abandon of Rangwali Holi, when streets and courtyards become stages for exuberant public celebration.

Widely known as the “Festival of Colours,” Holi is instantly recognisable in images of devotees casting clouds of gulal (powdered pigments) into the air. These radiant hues were once drawn entirely from the natural world: dried flowers pounded into dust, turmeric and saffron lending their golden warmth, henna leaves crushed to earthy green. In some regions, colour falls both as powder, and as petals. During Phoolon Wali Holi, marigolds, roses and jasmine rain down in fragrant cascades, transforming the act of adornment into something fleeting and sublime.

For a magazine devoted to cloth, craft and colour, Holi offers a moment to reflect on India’s enduring relationship with saturated hue — its symbolism, its sensuality, its power. In celebration, we share ‘Ranis and Roses: Pink is the Navy Blue of India,’ an archive feature written by Laura Gray for Selvedge Issue 97, Red, exploring the cultural language of colour and the particular potency of pink in the Indian imagination:

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Further Information:

Feature written by Laura Gray for Selvedge Issue 97, Red

Feeling inspired? Celebrate Holi on next year’s Selvedge Textile Tour of India. Register your interest with Lison at artisans@selvedge.org to be the first to receive updates.

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Image Credits:

All images as credited on the pages of the featured article.