KARACHI:Holi, the Hindu community’s festival of colors, was celebrated across Sindh province in enthusiasm and fervor. Hindus offered prayers, held colorful events and showcased traditional Danda Dance.
Major ceremonies of the day were held in Umerkot, Mithi, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Shahdadkot, Larkana, Gambat and other cities of Sindh. The male and females, including girls and boys, showcased traditional dances and sprayed different colors on each other.
Umerkot and Tharparkar districts are majority area of Hindu community in Sindh, where Holy was celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor. Men, women and children were seen fully prepared to celebrate the day with befitting manner.
In Karachi, Hindu community members gathered in temples and performed colorful ceremonies and offered prayers. The mega event of colorful Holi was held at the Shri Panchumukhi Hanuman Temple in Soldier Bazaar area of Karachi. The event mesmerized the participants. An event was also held at Clifton area of the city, where people enjoyed a lot.
Local governments in major cities, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mithui, Umerkot and Thar region ensured cleanliness of areas surrounding the temples and other holy places.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has congratulated to Hindu community on Holi festivity of colors which is being observed across the country with zeal and fervor. In a tweet Khan said: “Wishing our Hindu community a very happy and peaceful Holi, the festival of colors.”
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PPP Cochairman Asif Ali Zardari have extended heartiest greetings to Hindu community in Pakistan on the eve of Holi festival.
In a post shared on Twitter, Bilawal wrote: “Happy Holi to all my Hindu brothers and sisters.” “On the happy occasion of Holi, let us spread the wonderful message of peace and happiness,” he added. Holi festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships in Hindu religion.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has extended Holi greetings to Hindu community in advance. He has already ordered release of the salaries to Hindu community government employees so that they could celebrate Holi in befitting manner.
Holi is a Hindu spring festival, originating from the Indian subcontinent, celebrated predominantly in India and Nepal, but has also spread to other areas of Asia and parts of the Western world through the diaspora from the Indian subcontinent, also known as the “festival of colors” or the “festival of love”.
The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships.
It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon day) falling in the Vikram Samvat Hindu Calendar month of Phalgun, which falls somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar. The first evening is known as Holika Dahan (burning of demon holika) or Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi, or Phagwah.
Holi is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities outside Asia. In addition to India and Nepal, the festival is celebrated by Indian subcontinent diaspora in countries such as Jamaica, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Mauritius, and Fiji.