O-Week 2015 began with an explosion of colour as EKTA, the South Asian Student’s Society, presented their staple event: Holi.

The ANU’s annual recreation of the ancient Hindu religious festival has become a mainstay in the O-Week calendar and this year’s was more extravagant than ever before; more than 500 people crowded the Chifley Meadows on Monday afternoon to create a sandstorm of colour. Powders in every hue collided with water balloons whilst the white clothing of participants quickly became anything but. Shrieks of laughter could be heard across campus from what is one of the liveliest events in the O-Week program. At the end, participants were left to spend the rest of the day adorned with rainbow battle scars.

Holi 2015 launched what is planned to be a big year for the ANU’s South Asian Students’ Society. EKTA president, Divya Kaliyaperumal, said that the Society is hoping to use the event as a springboard to broaden its activities, sharing South Asian culture with students from all over the world.

“We don’t want the Society to just be for South Asian students,” said the Society’s Vice President of Administration, Suraj Laha.

“We want all students of ANU to get involved with EKTA’s events and share the culture of South Asia with everyone.”

If this year’s springboard event is any indication, 2015 will be huge for EKTA. Kaliyaperumal said that the event is successful not only because it is a huge event in India and across Asia, but because it has become so popular locally, making it a great introduction to South Asian culture.

The South Asian Students’ Society followed on from their inaugural O-Week event with a screening of the India v Pakistan Cricket World Cup match on Sunday the 15th.