Holi Festival at Royal Botanical Gardens on Sunday

Friends of the Indian community and Indian nationals will be heading to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Old Hope Road, Kingston, on Sunday (March 12) to celebrate Holi.

Also known as the festival of colours, Holi will take place at the India Jamaica Friendship Garden at the Bandstand Lawns, beginning at 11:00 a.m. and ending at 2:00 p.m. It is being organised by the High Commission of India and the Indian Cultural Society in Jamaica (ICSIJ)

It will feature cultural performances, dance, music, food, drink and traditional sweets, and highlighted by festival-goers throwing brilliantly coloured powder into the air and also splashing each other with the dye.

Holi Festival is widely observed in India and other countries across the world. It is usually celebrated on the full-moon day of the Hindu lunar calendar month in March.

President of the ICSIJ, Dr. Priya Anaokar, told JIS News that the organisation wants to keep the Holi festival alive and to bring a part of India to Jamaica.

“We want the people of Jamaica to experience it as well and to share our culture with our brothers, sisters and friends. We want them to be a part of the celebrations,” she said.

Dr. Anaokar said that Holi signifies the beginning of spring harvesting and the triumph of good over evil and a time “when people come together to celebrate love”.

She said that the festival, which has its origins in Hindu mythology, begins with the gathering of people around a bonfire on the full moon night, known as “holika dahan”.

“It really signifies the release of things, letting go of all your negativity just giving it up to the fire,’’ Dr. Anaokar said.

Dr. Anaokar said that the ICSIJ and members of the Indian community have been celebrating Holi in Jamaica for many years “but this time we are trying to do it on a little bigger scale and to showcase it to more of Jamaica.” she added.