Expatriates celebrate Holi

London (Special Correspondent) -  The colourful Holi festival announces the end of the winter season and heralds the advent of fragrant spring in South Asia and is celebrated with traditions and religious fervor equally by Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and other communities of India , Nepal , and Sri Lanka .

The festival is also celebrated in South Africa, UK, United States and other parts of the world where these communities live. In Sanskrit, Holi is called Dhuli Vandana. Arrangements to celebrate this festival begin days before the particular date that included special worship as well as making special dishes.  
 
This year Orleans House Gallery and Ethnic Minority Advocacy group arranged a colourful function to mark the occasion at Richmond borough in London that was attended by people from all the communities who threw different colours upon one another as part of the festival custom.
 
The Coordinator of the Arts Service of the Gallery talking to The Asians on the occasion said “we want to bring people of different communities closer through this sacred event and the followers of other religion also participate and enjoy spraying colours on one another”.
 
The Coordinator remarked “people usually do not spare time to take part in festivals and other Art activities due to busy London life, but such functions provide them with some time to spare and join in to celebrate and enjoy wonderful time”.
 
Ashi Dhillon of Ethnic Minority Advocacy group said the group last decided to celebrate the occasion in order to let the people feel like being in their native land. “In short you may say we wanted to bring mini India here in London by organizing the function”, she articulated. She maintained the festival plays an important role in brining people from different cultural and ethnic background together under one roof and promotes cultural and social harmony.
 
One of the participants, Rupa from Delhi told that she spared her time to visit the gallery alongwith her friends to enjoy the festival. “I feel like being in my own city”, rejoicing Rupa remarked.
 
Another participant Vinod expressing his feelings said playing with colours in Holi is a quite different taste of delight. “Even estranged hearts rejoin this day and smear each other with colours as a mark of a new beginning”, he added.  He called upon the countries of the South Asian region to forget their differences and start a new peaceful era.
 
Police Officer Catherine Harcup said she really liked people from different communities enjoying Sthe party.
 
South Asians delicacies Kachories, sweets, Biryani and other food items attracted the participants. Children were seen painted their faces with different colours and some young boys and girls danced to the tunes of Bollywood songs.