‘Holi marks victory of good over evil’

In the celebration, sweets were distributed and the participants threw colours on each other

LAHORE: Sikhs, Christians and Muslims joined Hindus in the Holi celebrations on Sunday by throwing colours on each other.

The event was organised by the Hindu Sudhar Sabha and Dil Se Pakistan in Cantonment area. The event started with prayers (Pooja) which were led by Pandit Sabir Naz and later a Bhajan ‘Ishwar Allah’ was recited.

Later, Amarnath Randhawa, a leader of Hindu Sudhar Sabha, told the participants about the significance of Holi.

He said the festival marked the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring and the end of winter.

It also commemorates the killing of Raja Hiranyakashipu, an ancient prince who claimed to be a god but was opposed
by his son Prahlada, he said.

He said Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with a Holika Dahan where people gather, perform rituals in front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed the way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire.

After the speech of Randhawa, an effigy of Holika was burnt and sweets were distributed among the participants as a symbol of sharing happiness and victory of good over evil.

Later, a pot full of colours was smashed and the participants threw colours on each other to share the joy of the occasion.

They all embraced each other as symbol of brotherhood.

“The celebration of Holi had been forgotten, but we will make sure that we keep celebrating it like other festivals such as Diwali, Baisakhi, Basant, Nauroz and much more,” Hindu Sudhar Sabha Secretary General Aroon Kumar Kundnani said while talking to those present.

He said Pakistan needs such festivals since it helps in nation-building.

“We live in an environment of suffocation and such events not only bring us closer, but provide us with an opportunity of
entertainment,” Aroon said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2017.