A HINDU festival brought an explosion of colour, music and dance to a Hampshire town.
It’s the biggest event on the calendar for the Hindu community and brought a host of celebratory activities to Eastleigh.
Durga Puja honours the goddess Durga, the mother of the universe, and her triumph over evil.
The three day festival was held at the Hilt in Hiltingbury Recreation Ground and brought a mixture of Bengali and Bollywood music, dancing and drama.
The festivities were kicked off with more than 30 children from Yellow Dot Nursery in Winchester and the Otterbourne Church of England Primary School getting to see what it was all about.
Other attractions included a Puja and ritual dance, a performance called Byatha by drama enthusiasts, a group dance called Dandia, Bollywood music by Safar and to close the event the Sindur Khela, a Hindu celebration of patriarchy.
The event saw people dress in their most glamorous clothes, covered in gems, jewels and make-up.
Durga Puja events were first held in Chandler’s Ford in 2008, and since then hundreds of people have attended the festival.
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