Colour of joyous: Holi celebrated with great enthusiasm in Pakistan

News Desk

Islamabad: Like other parts of the country, the Hindu community celebrated the festival of Holi with great enthusiasm and fervour on Tuesday, as people of all ages came together to spread the colours of joy and happiness.

The Hindu festival marks the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring and the end of winter.

Like other temples, special services were held in the temples of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Besides, the biggest Holi celebrations were held at Sadhu Bela Temple, situated on the Indus River, Liaquat Chowk Temple, Sukkur and Balmiki Sabha Temple of Saddar Mohallah Shikarpur, Station Road, Khairpur, Pakistan Chowk Kashmore- Kandhkot, Mirpur Mathelo and other areas. Holi festival proceedings in Shikarpur were led by veteran Hindu astrologist Mangay Ram and other local social activists.

The Hindu festival was also celebrated with devotion and colourfully by the Bagri community– a scheduled caste of the Hindu community, in Kandhkot and Noshehroferoze.

In addition to that, Mukhi Aishwar Lal and Faqir Gokal Das Chohan exchanged Holi greetings with Muslim compatriots in Shikarpur and Kandhkot, and prayed for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan.

Kishore Kumar, a teacher and rights activist, said that the event started on Monday morning with the lighting of the bonfire on Holika Dahan, symbolising the destruction of evil and the triumph of good.

Kumar said that the festivities began early in the morning with people applying gulal (coloured powder) on each other’s faces, exchanging sweets and greetings, and dancing to the beats of drum. He said that the streets were filled with the sounds of laughter and the sight of vibrant colours as people splashed each other with water and coloured powder.

 Festival of Peace & Harmony

The celebrations were not limited to just one community; people from all walks of life participated in the festivities, showcasing the unity and diversity of Pakistan.

It is important to mention here that the Hindu community celebrates the Holi festival with the arrival of Spring at the end of winter. It is a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships.

In the meanwhile, colourful events were held in different localities of the Sukkur region and temples of the Hindu community, where children and women also participated with warmth and religious devotion in the day-long proceedings.