Indian Cultural Association in Colombo celebrates Holi – the Festival of Colours

A grand Holi celebration by the Indian Cultural Association on 23 March at the lush green lawns of Taj Vivanta, Airport Gardens brought out the spirit of this cherished festival to the Indian diaspora and the local community.

The celebrations were marked with the presence of Indian High Commission Director Prof. Ankuran Dutta along with distinguished guests in a gathering of nearly 350 enthusiasts. The Chief Guest on the occasion RPP Infra Projects Ltd., India Chairman and Managing Director P. Arul Sundaram was accompanied by other senior officials of his company.

One of the most popular festivals in the Indian subcontinent, Holi celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna. The day signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it commemorates the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu. The popular legend behind the celebration of Holi was gracefully enacted by a few members of the Indian Cultural Association along with their children to reiterate and recreate the victory of the spirit of righteousness and truth.

The Indian Cultural Association in Colombo has been playing a vital role in preserving and promoting Indian traditions and festivals in Sri Lanka. The Holi celebration organised by this association is a testament to their commitment to fostering cultural ties and spreading happiness among the community. It not only preserves Indian culture but also fosters goodwill and understanding among communities in Colombo, making it an event worth experiencing for anyone interested in the diverse tapestry of Indian traditions.

Indian Cultural Association President Captain Anirban Banerjee, the advisory board comprising of Ranjan Chakravarthy, Sanjay Baid, Veena Durgabakshi and Chanchal Bose, General Secretary Jayadratha Das, the Executive Members, Aseem Bhargava, Elvis Peter, Biswas Janardhanan, Sanjeev Mishra, Swapan Haldar, Poornima Das and Prasanna Suresh were some of the other important dignitaries of the event.

As a tradition, people play Holi by smearing and drenching each other with colours. Water guns are often used to play and colour each other, with anyone and any place being considered fair game to colour. The colourful powders used and applied during Holi are usually made from natural ingredients like corn flour and rice flour. The event represents unity, togetherness and a triumph of good over evil.

The Indian Cultural Association celebrated the event starting with a welcome traditional dance with a fusion of Indian and Sri Lankan dance followed by performance from ladies and children of the Indian Cultural Association and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre.

The highlight of the occasion was the variety of sumptuous delicacies arranged for this special occasion covering dishes from different parts of India and the arrangement of special drink ‘Thandai’ which signifies this occasion and also the Indian Paan, the ingredients of which had to be flown from India. 

Besides, Holi is celebrated at a time of the year when the fields are in full bloom in India and people are expecting a good harvest. This gives a good reason to rejoice, make merry and submerge themselves in the spirit of Holi.