The hotel I was staying in was thoughtful enough to provide a window into Holi on the property. There was an excellent buffet, including an open bar. There was an outdoor dance area with a sprinkler system to keep you cool, and fans were set up throughout the area. The paint used is either a powder or a liquid paint that is thrown at other revelers. My two friends and I were the first brave souls to show up at 10am for the festivities. We had intended to check it out and go shopping in the afternoon. The hotel staff was very playful and wasted no time in splattering us with purple, yellow, and red paint. Not to be outdone, we promptly loaded up our "guns" and chased them around. It was quite dramatic seeing those starched-white uniforms turning all the colors of the rainbow.

As the day progressed, the colors all melded into a purplish-pink haze. Our faces were covered with a variety of colors. Before we knew it, it was 5pm in the afternoon. We had spent the whole day laughing, dancing, and chasing each other. Throwing powder and shooting liquid paint at my friends immediately brought me back to hot Texas summer water-gun fights. It was such a carefree, uplifting experience. I can see why it is one of the most notable of Hindi holidays.

If you are not a member of the club ( like me) then also you can enjoy fishing using your own improvised tools. Me and my daughter usually sit on the stairs leading to the lake. We use the insects as feed and try to catch fish. At the same place especially during the rains we can see local people with there nets. They are able to catch a sizeable number of fish. We have not been lucky except once when we used a cloth - to catch the fish in almost the same manner as the villagers were using the net.

Whether you are actually sucessful or not does not matter much but the feeling that in this concrete jungle you are able to see such activities does matter. The scene is beautiful - With two hills in the distance, between which sunrise can still be seen as in old painted landscapes - a place where silence is the only sound in the still of night, deep in the heart of Mumbai.