Holi: A Letter from My Heart

Holi: A Letter from My Heart  

Every year, when the colours of Holi start appearing in the markets and the smell of bonfires fills the air, I feel a quiet tug at my heart. It’s more than just a festival — it is a story of courage, faith, and joy, and, for me, it has become a deeply personal one.

I want to share that story with you… and why Holi always finds a special place in my home and heart.

Fire and Faith: The Lessons of Holi

Holi begins with a story that has travelled through generations. A young devotee named Prahlada refused to worship his father, the mighty king Hiranyakashipu, choosing instead to follow Vishnu.

Angry and determined to punish him, the king enlisted his sister, Holika, who possessed a magical shawl that protected her from fire. She sat in a blazing pyre with Prahlada on her lap, certain he would perish.

But the universe has a way of protecting what is true. The shawl flew from Holika and wrapped around Prahlada instead. Holika burned. Prahlada survived.

From this fire comes the message that underlies every Holi: faith is stronger than fear, goodness is protected, and ego always consumes itself.

My Personal Holi Journey

In 2020, this lesson became real for me. I was in India during the holiday season with my mum, celebrating as Holi approached. The world was quietly tipping into lockdown, and our drive to the airport felt surreal — quiet, tense, heavy with uncertainty. And yet, I was convinced I would return in a few months.

I didn’t.

Not only that, but my very first shipment leaving India — the first step of a dream I had carried for years — never reached South Africa. When I eventually received notice that the shipment had arrived, I was heavily pregnant, still full of excitement and hope. But the shipment never arrived. And there went the entirety of my first ever investment in myself and my dream.

My daughter was born in December 2020. And with a newborn in my arms, I found a new fire, a new motivation. When she turned a month old, I started again — this time, with the courage of a mother and the lessons of patience, resilience, and faith guiding me. That’s when The Desi Closet SA truly began. I have never looked back.

And yet, every year, Holi reminds me: even amid uncertainty, fear, and setbacks, colour, joy, and resilience always find their way back.

Colour, Joy, and Becoming

Holi is not just about fire. It’s about colour. Music. Laughter. Playfulness. Inspired also by the love between Krishna and Radha, it reminds us that joy and devotion can be playful.

We throw colours not to stain, but to equalise. In colour, there is no hierarchy, no perfection — only shared humanity.

And just like the fire that burns what no longer serves us, the colours teach us to embrace who we are now — messy, vibrant, courageous.

1. Protect Your Faith Like Prahlada
   Even when the world questions your dreams or your path, your faith will carry you forward.
2. Burn What No Longer Serves You
   Ego. Doubt. Resentment. Old narratives. Let go. Release.
3. Step Boldly Into Colour
   You don’t need to wait to be ready or perfect. Life is alive now — messy and magnificent.
4. Joy Is Sacred
   Play, laughter, celebration — they are acts of courage and devotion.

If this year has already stretched you…
If you’ve had to be brave quietly…
If you are building something that requires deep faith…

Holi is your reminder: you are allowed to take up space. You are allowed to be seen. You are allowed to live in colour.

Light your fire. Release what weighs you down. And when the colours fly, step forward.

Because this is your season of becoming… and it was never meant to be lived in black and white. 

Happy Holi 🌸

Love and Light

Suvarna Gangai