Holi is one of the most colourful festivals in the Hindu calendar and falls on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Fagan (Fagan Purnima). It welcomes the onset of spring and celebrates the new life and vitality of all that follows. It also celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the saving grace of God, symbolised by the lighting of the Holi bonfire. The diaspora celebrated Holiday across the country over the weekend with the first ever Foreign and Commonwealth reception on Wednesday 8 March.
FCO hosts its first ever Holi reception
For the first time ever, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office hosted a reception to celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi. The reception took place in the historic Durbar Court with over 300 members of the British-Indian and British-Nepalese communities in attendance on Wednesday 8 March.
Durbar Court was decked out with colourful decorations, including models of elephants and peacocks with the help of Nitin Palan and his team at Neasden Temple. Tony Wong and musicians Ramesh Ladwa and Ajit Chandegra provided traditional music. And the Binal and Kuntal Dance companies provided spectacular dancing.
Mr Sharma and the Indian High Commissioner made speeches and Shrutidharma Das from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) gave a blessing.
Guests included representatives from BAPS Neasden Temple; Urvashi Patel and the sound crew from Brahma Kumaris; Harsha Trivedi from the Brahmin Society; Ravi Bhanot from Ilford Vishwa Hindu Parishad Temple; Nilesh Solanki from Event Gurus; Rami Ranger from Sun Mark Ltd; the Binal and Kuntal Dance companies; Tony Wong and musicians Ramesh Ladwa and Ajit Chandegra; and Shrutidharma Das from ISKCON.
Holi Celebrations at Neasden Temple
The beauty, energy and profundity of Holi were celebrated at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London on Sunday 12 March 2017. Devotees and visitors arrived at the Mandir throughout the day and paid their respects to the murtis which were adorned with vibrant colours to mark the occasion.
The ceremonial activities of Holi commenced in the grounds of the Swaminarayan School opposite the Mandir, where the traditional bonfire was lit shortly after 4.30pm. Devotees placed newly harvested grains and coconuts in the bonfire as an offering made in thanksgiving to Agni, the Deity of Fire.
A local resident attending the festival shared, “It was fascinating to experience Holi here in London. We normally think of it as just a rave of colours, but the volunteers kindly explained the history and meaning behind the rituals which helped me to understand its deeper significance. It was also great to see so many local residents take part.”
In the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, devotees also celebrate the birth of Brahmaswarup Bhagatji Maharaj, the second spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. A special evening assembly was held in the prayer hall inside the Mandir to honour his life and message.
