Southampton came alive with vibrant colours, music, the flavours of India and dancing as hundreds gathered in Guildhall Square to celebrate Holi.
Known as the festival of colours in India and across the world, the spring celebration marks the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil.
In Guildhall Square in Southampton city centre, people wore colourful dress, explored market stalls selling Indian street food, and threw colourful powders called gulal into the air, covering themselves from head to toe.
The event was organised by the Hampshire Indian Community (HIC), in collaboration with Southampton City Council and GO! Southampton.
Anjali Mavi, treasurer of HIC, said: “We are celebrating Holi, which is a Hindu festival where we play with colours.
"It’s about forgetting anger in your past and bringing people together with dancing, eating and enjoying Indian culture.”
Spectators joined in dances, clapped to the music, and threw gulal into the air, creating a rainbow of colour across the square.
Families and friends laughed as clouds of powder swirled around them, while children ran excitedly through the crowds.
Poonam Paranjpe, who travelled from Bournemouth to join the celebrations, said: “Today’s extremely colourful event has been so welcoming, so open and so inclusive.
"The selection of food on offer has been amazing; I have bought so many homemade sweets that you just can’t buy anywhere else.”
Dhruvi Malik, who runs The Eggless Treats, set up a stall full of her homemade sweets, which she described as an “infusion of Indian and British flavours.”
She said: “I love everything about this festival from the colours to the food. I came to the celebration last year and really enjoyed it, so knew I’d be back.”
The chairman of the Hampshire Indian Community, Jitender Mavi, said that after last year’s event – the first time Holi was celebrated in Southampton’s city centre – it was such a success that the council asked them to put on the festivities again.
He added: “I think the response we got from the community last year really boosted us to do it again. And it’s not just us this time - Southampton Council actually approached us and asked if we would run it again, which is a really big achievement.”
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