The Story of Colors and Friendship
Long, long ago, when Lord Krishna was a little boy, he was very sweet, but he worried about one thing: his skin was blue, but the skin of his friend, Radha, was fair and beautiful.
One day, little Krishna went to his mother, Yashoda, and complained, “Amma, everyone teases me because I am blue, and Radha is so lovely. Why are we so different?”
His mother, who loved him very much, smiled sweetly. “My dear Krishna, if you are so worried about the color, why don't you change it?”
Krishna looked puzzled. “Change it? How?”
His mother pointed to a shelf where she kept little pots of natural colors made from flowers and herbs—red for love, yellow for happiness, green for new beginnings.
“Go and take some of those colors, Krishna,” she said. “Go to Radha and color her face any way you like! Then she will look just like you.”
Krishna giggled! What a fun idea! He grabbed the colors and ran off to the town of Vrindavan where Radha lived.
When he found Radha, she was busy playing. He crept up to her and, with a splash of mischief, smeared yellow and pink powder on her cheeks!
Radha was shocked at first, but then she saw Krishna’s sparkling, playful eyes. She burst into laughter! She immediately grabbed her own handful of green powder and chased him, painting his blue skin with bright splashes of spring green.
Soon, their friends joined in, throwing water mixed with colors and laughing until their bellies ached. Every single person was covered head-to-toe in every color imaginable. No one was blue, no one was fair—everyone was red, yellow, pink, and green! They all looked the same, laughing together.
This wonderful game of coloring faces became a tradition. It taught everyone that the real color of life is the joy we share when we treat everyone equally and with love.
That is why we play Rangwali Holi (Holi with colors)! It’s a day to forget our differences, celebrate friendship, and cover everyone in the bright, happy colors of spring!
