Holi hues: Startup founders share their fondest memories of the festival of colours

Holi, which marks the onset of spring, is synonymous with vibrant colours and lively celebrations. 

Over the years, with changing lifestyles and priorities, the way the festival is approached has evolved. The carefree celebrations often associated with Holi may have taken a backseat, but the spirit of the festival lives on—in one’s memories and the happy moments one manages to steal amid busy schedules.

For many urban Indians, the festival of colours evokes nostalgia—of sweet treats, water balloon fights, colour spattered faces, and the inevitable aftermath, the struggle of removing the stubborn pinks and blues! 

YS Life asks six startup founders to pause and reflect on their favourite Holi memories and how they have managed to keep some family traditions alive. 

Deep Bajaj

Co-founder and CEO, Sirona Hygeine 

YS Life [YSL]: What are your most cherished childhood memories of Holi? 

Deep Bajaj [DB]: Holi as a child was pure, unfiltered joy. The day would start early—we’d wake up excited, filling up countless buckets and water balloons, ready for the ultimate neighbourhood battle. Every house had its doors open, welcoming one another with colours, sweets, and laughter.

There was something magical about that sense of community—no invitations were needed, and no one was left out. The streets would be alive with music, bursts of colour, and the sound of children running around carefree. By afternoon, we’d be drenched and exhausted, but full of happy memories. 

The best part? Walking from house to house, meeting families, and sharing in their celebrations. It wasn’t just a festival; it was a feeling of belonging.

YSL: Do you have any food memories of Holi? 

DB: If there’s one thing that truly completes Holi, it’s the food! In our home, the kitchen would be buzzing with activity days before the festival. The unmistakable aroma of freshly fried gujiyas would fill the air, and plates of aloo poori would be served generously to anyone who walked in.

Even today, these flavours remain an essential part of the celebration. The taste of homemade gujiyas and the warmth of a festive meal instantly transport me back to childhood. We make it a point to keep these traditions alive, ensuring that the next generation experiences not just the festival’s colours but also its flavours.

YSL: How has your approach to celebrating Holi changed over the years?

DB: Holi used to be all about carefree fun—playing for hours without a worry in the world. Till about a decade ago, I was still very much part of the full-fledged colour wars. But as responsibilities have grown, my way of celebrating has changed.

Now, the joy comes from seeing my kids play with the same enthusiasm that I once did. The morning is reserved for them—watching them fill their tiny buckets, chase their friends, and enjoy the festival in their own way. Later in the day, we step down to the society celebration for a while—more structured, more civil, but still carrying the spirit of Holi. The wild, chaotic playfulness may have faded a bit, but the happiness remains.

YSL: Have Holi celebrations shifted from the intimate, community-driven gatherings of your childhood? 

DB: Absolutely. There was a time when Holi meant real connections—knocking on neighbours’ doors, gathering in each other’s courtyards, and spending the day together. Families were closer, neighbourhoods were like extended families, and the festival felt deeply personal.

Today, while the celebrations still happen, they feel a little more planned (especially in gated communities in Gurugram), a little more contained. The spontaneity is missing. We don’t see people walking into each other’s homes as freely as before, and that warmth of shared celebrations has been diluted. I miss that simplicity—where Holi wasn’t about big parties or organised events but about togetherness. 

YSL: How do you preserve some of your childhood Holi traditions?

DB: Using old pichkaaris! There was a certain joy in reusing the same old steel pichkaaris year after year. The ritual of oiling them, testing the pressure, and making sure they worked perfectly was an event in itself. Unlike today’s disposable plastic ones, those sturdy steel pichkaaris carried memories—each dent and scratch telling a story of past Holis. 

No matter how busy life gets, I believe in celebrating each tradition fully, especially for the sake of the next generation. In our home, we make it a point to cook the same festive dishes, play traditional Holi songs, and tell our kids about the way we celebrated when we were younger. While some things have changed, the essence remains—Holi is about joy, family, and carrying forward the traditions that define us.

Swagatika Das

Co-founder, Nat Habit

YSL: What are your most cherished childhood memories of Holi?

Swagatika Das [SD]: I was born in Cuttuck, Odisha. We were a joint family– my dad, his three brothers, and five cousins. It was a typical small city set-up, with about 15 to 20 houses that were very close to our family.

All the children would come together. I vividly remember all the water splashes and colours we used to play around with. Until ninth or tenth standard, there were no pakka (long-lasting, stubborn) colours. Before that, we used to just play with gulal and mix colours and water.

Balloons were not as prevalent. Pichkari was more prevalent then. We used to play till 4 or 5 pm, with mothers and aunts pulling us into the house.

College (IIT Kharagpur) was a completely wild experience. Some 2000-3000 people came together to play Holi!

YSL: How have Holi celebrations changed over the years?

SD: It actually has nothing to do with business or my work. I think while I’m quite a workaholic and work really long hours, Holi has always been special for me. It’s just that you’ve not had family or friends around you to play Holi on a grand scale. And not everybody has the same kind of enthusiasm.

YSL: How do you preserve some of your childhood Holi traditions?

SD: Enjoying the tradition of colouring or playing in, let’s say, a mud dump! That is something I would want my child to openly embrace, because there are still adults who don’t really play Holi. They find it yucky, either because of medical reasons, or a lot of them just don’t enjoy the fact that they are covered in colours and mud.

Swati Bhargava

Co-founder, CashKaro 

YSL: What are your most cherished childhood memories of Holi? 

Swati Bhargava [SB]: I grew up in a small town called Ambala, in Haryana. Holi is always celebrated very well there. And I have very fond memories of celebrating Holi in my childhood with all my family and friends. The foods that I associate most with Holi are papdi chaat, matar kulcha, and dhokla. 

YSL: How do you preserve some of  your childhood Holi traditions?

SB: In our condominium, everyone comes together. We still have the whole chaat and golgappa-kind of menu.

We’ve moved to organic colours and playing a cleaner Holi compared to the darker colours that we used when we were young. There's still a lot of water to be played with, and I think Holi is not complete without that.

Bollywood music is also a very core part of Holi, we play that a lot… especially Rang Barse; it’s one of the favourites. 

Abhijeet Rajpurohit

COO and Co-founder, Cloud TV

YSL: What are your most cherished memories of Holi? 

Abhijeet Rajpurohit [AR]: Holi was my favourite festival growing up, especially because I lived in a joint family that was equally enthusiastic about the festival. I remember waking up to the chaos of my father’s screams as my uncles and aunts would bring up buckets of coloured water and throw it on him while he was fast asleep in bed. Of course, sneaking up on my cousins and the balloon fights were the highlights of the day.

YSL: Any food memories of Holi? 

AR: I remember drinking mugs of thandai all day. It’s not something usually served at home apart from Holi, and I had a secret obsession with it.

YSL: How has your approach to celebrating Holi changed over the years?

AR: People have less time now; so the festivities are not as grand as they used to be. With the little time that everyone does have, we spend with our family instead of the larger neighbourhood community. Also, because the community is not that of family-friends of generations, but new people who are moving in and out of these houses around which we grew up; the sense of community is not that strong anymore. 

YSL: Have Holi celebrations shifted from the intimate, community-driven gatherings of your childhood? 

AR: Community sizes have become much larger, but not necessarily more intimate—thanks to societies that are larger than villages. Being social beings, we always tend to make things work; however, there’s something about a simple afternoon with the close ones on a hot day that just can’t be matched. 

YSL: How do you preserve some of your childhood Holi traditions and family rituals?

AR: The tradition of sneaking on other family members and attacking them with colours or water buckets while they are in bed lives on. And, of course, the tradition of my father screaming in the morning asking all the cousins to stop mucking around!

Sumeet Mehta

Co-founder and CEO, LEAD Group

YSL: How has celebrating Holi changed over the years?

Sumeet Mehta [SM]: Holi has been a journey for me—from childhood days of dodging water balloons to teenage years of rooftop celebrations with friends and family.  Over time though, my connection with the festival has changed. As work took over, the celebrations have become less frequent, and now Holi is more of a quiet day for me—a chance to catch up on reading or pending tasks. Holi still holds nostalgia and a sense of energy though.

Ruchika Agarwal

Co-founder, TwinsTribe 

YSL: What are your most cherished childhood memories of Holi? 

Ruchika Agarwal [RA]: Holi has always been one of the most anticipated celebrations of the year for me. Growing up in a bustling home in the main market area of our town, the festival felt like a burst of colours and energy all around. The days leading up to Holi were filled with excitement—vendors lining the streets with vibrant colours, pichkaris, quirky hats, and festive accessories. 

YSL: How has celebrating Holi changed over the years?

RA: My co-founder, Nikita, and I were raised in a joint family, which meant that Holi was as much about family bonding as it was about fun and mischief. The planning would start days in advance—strategising pranks, stocking up on water balloons, and ensuring we had the funkiest pichkaris. On the day of the festival, we would wake up early, eager to get a head-start before others.

As we grew older, our celebrations evolved. College days meant Holi with friends, where the enthusiasm remained the same but the setting changed. However, once we moved to city life and got caught up in work, Holi celebrations took a quieter turn—sometimes just a small gathering or even a peaceful day at home.

YSL: How do you preserve some of your childhood Holi traditions?

RA: After becoming a mother to twins, I wanted them to truly experience the magic of Holi, just as I had. Three years ago, we took them to my hometown for Holi, and it was like stepping back in time. The markets were still as lively, the colours just as bright, and the joy just as infectious. Watching my kids soak in the same traditions was incredibly special—it felt like reliving my own childhood through them.

Secondly, moving to an apartment complex with a vibrant and diverse community has reignited the festival spirit. Here, Holi is celebrated with immense enthusiasm, bringing together people from different backgrounds. This has not only revived the festival for us but has also helped us pass down traditions to our children, ensuring they grow up with the same love for Holi that we did.

(With inputs from Pooja Malik and Ishan Patra)