Hindus celebrate Holi festival

The Hindu community in Rawalpindi and Islamabad has begun celebrating the traditional two-day religious festival of Holi.

The festival was observed on Monday, March 2, at three temples in Rawalpindi with religious enthusiasm and reverence, while concluding ceremonies will be held on Tuesday, March 3.

Celebrations took place at Krishna Mandir in Saddar, the historic Balmik Mandir in Lal Kurti and the century-old Frere's Line temple. Due to the country's situation, the festival was observed with simplicity.

Hindu families visited the temples, religious songs were presented and prasad was distributed.

Girls and children threw six to seven types of colours at each other during the celebrations. Clothes of women, children and elders turned red, yellow, blue, green and orange as colours were applied to faces, arms, clothes and hair.

Children enjoyed throwing handfuls of colours at each other to the sound of religious songs. Families also celebrated Holi at home, decorating their houses beautifully and placing colours in large trays for children to enjoy.

President of the Hindu-Sikh Council Sardar Hira Lal and head of Interfaith Hindu-Muslim-Sikh Welfare Om Prakash Narain said the festival is being observed with simplicity this year. Special prayers were offered for Pakistan's progress, prosperity and security.

"We are happy, safe and secure in Pakistan. Our main issue is the cremation ground. Land measuring two kanals should be allocated outside the city in a secure area for a cremation ground, temple and dharamshala," they said.

They added that Holi is celebrated annually at the arrival of spring according to the Hindu lunar calendar, symbolising the victory of good over evil. The festival marks the triumph of Prahlad over Holika and signifies the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Holi is one of the major festivals of the subcontinent and conveys a message of love and renewal of relationships through colors. It is celebrated officially in India and Nepal, while in Pakistan the Hindu community celebrates it enthusiastically.