Holi 2008 - Manjulika !

The day Mar-20-2008. Just a normal day, Office was open as usual, though there were lots of offices that were closed or gave an optional holiday. The usual traffic problem was not seen..as they surfed their route to Office. Just the same routine...but then lets not forget that tomorrow (Mar-21) is Holi. There were rumours that there could be some surprises on the floor. Some already, equivalent of a AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) had decided to work from home or take the day off to escape the "surprises".

Well, the day started off work as usual. Though some folks were spotted carrying into the offshore Development Centre (ODC) some shady packages. Who knew what they had inside them ! Some more were spotted wearing quite old shirts/T-shirts and coming to office. Now the inquisitive human mind was already curious....what was going on ? Some came up to ask, when were the 'surprises' planned - so that they could pack up and start an early long-weekend !

The morning passed on, the lunch time came an went....no surprises. Folks started wondering if the surprises were just a rumour ! But was it ...then it happened ! At ~3:30 noon, suddenly on the centre-table packets of colour (gulal) started appearing. There was quite a lot...and it came from all corners. Now we knew, what were those 'shady' packets that were smuggled into the ODC. Thus the Holi celebrations started ...with the formal 'Happly Holi' celebrations. And then it picked up intensity !!!

But did we have all participating ? News came that some of the project folks were hiding in the Conference room and 'seemingly' having a meeting on migration. But..unfortunately they were on the same floor, so it was not much, to get them into the 'holi' mood.

Another project (on the same floor) made a hundred metre dash and all of them could be seen hiding in their Project Lab. They were spotted hiding behind their CA/Sierra boxes. Another, project had also brought the 'shady' packets, but after seeing the intensity of the Holi celebrations :-) made a dash out of the ODC...and ran helter-shelter. And last of the lot, the 'it-u-can't-beat-them-join-them' - were the most silent lot. They seemed busy doing the office work, but once they had gulal on their face - they joined whole-heartily into the Holi celebrations.

Thus the celebrations went on for the next one-hour, gulal was sprayed, re-sprayed and re-applied yet again. Washing the colourful mug did not help- as it more gulal would be applied. Thus after ~1 hrs of fervent Holi celebration - by which time-it was ensured that everybody was at least 90% unrecognizable, the Holi celeb came to a closure. It was a gulal-gulal every where, but no where else to apply.

Folks could be seeing making a run for the rest-room (well, off-course don't look at the once white marble floor tiles) to retrieve back their original mug-shots and get the United Colours of Benetton off their faces. Off course the best mug-shot of the Holi celebrations went to .....Manjulika (of Bhool Bhulaiya fame).

Quoting comments received from (as far as) Canada (!!) after looking at this mug-shot -"Wow nice pics, specially the Manjulika one, if I see in the night it will scare the hell out of me".

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Hah ! So much for Holi celebrations.... Word was send out to the folks hiding in the Lab, Rest room (!!!) to come out of hiding.....

Wishing you a Happy Holi 2008 !