Splashes of bright colours filled the air as the Indian community in Malta celebrated the Holi, or spring festival, yesterday.

Wearing colourful outfits, Indian nationals and their friends gathered at the consulate in Santa Venera to celebrate the traditional feast.

People of all ages threw coloured powder at each other in line with the fun-filled custom.

“We do this in an attempt to ensure that we do celebrate our culture and, at the same time, invite our Maltese friends to share in the occasion,” said Michael Bharwani, president of the Indian community.

The Holi, pronounced “holy”, is also known as the festival of colours. When held in India, the celebrations can last for as long as three days. In India, some families hold religious ceremonies but, for many, Holi is more a time for fun than religious observance.

The BBC describes the celebration thus in its website:

“Holi is a colourful festival, with dancing, singing and throwing of powder paint and coloured water. Bonfires are lit and roasting grains, pop corn, coconut and chick peas are thrown by Hindu families.

“The next day, people of all ages go into the streets for fun and paint-throwing. Everyone gets involved – with no distinctions between caste, class, age or gender. Hindus have fun by smearing each other with paint and throwing coloured water at each other, all done in a spirit of celebration.”

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