About 150 members of Ireland's Hindu community celebrated Holi, the festival of colours, in Dublin's Phoenix Park yesterday, with a large open-air picnic and in exuberant style.
Srikanth Thati explained it was a 4,000-year-old event that marked the triumph of good over evil. He said it was celebrated every year in March on the day after the full moon, which this year coincided with Good Friday. It was a day, he said, when Hindus from all over India threw aside inhibitions and celebrated.
Sudhansh Verma explained that because there were people of so many colours in India on this day it was the custom to throw brightly coloured powder (gulal) and water over every one, so that, eventually, all would look similar.
He said the day celebrated the story of an evil king, Hirnakashya, who resented his son Prahlada for worshipping Lord Vishnu.
He attempted to kill his son twice, but failed. Finally, the king's sister Holika, who was believed to be immune to burning, sat with the boy in a huge fire in the belief the prince would die. But Prince Prahlada emerged unscathed, while it was his aunt who burned to death.
Holi commemorates this event from Hindu mythology, and in India huge bonfires are burned on the eve of Holi.
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