On Friday, millions of people in South Asia marked Holi, the Sanskrit term for the Hindu ‘Festival of Colors, Love, and Spring.’ In Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, tourists joined locals in celebrating the joyous occasion. The festivities included dancing to festive music, drumming, and playfully painting each other with bright powders in shades of red, green, blue, and pink. Leon, a foreign tourist who had come to Nepal to trek the high mountains, found the festival to be “beautiful” and filled with “good energy.” David Hayes, a tourist from Canada, said celebrating “Happy Holi” in Nepal provided an amazing connection to the local culture, making it a fun and joyful experience. Children added to the revelry by throwing water balloons filled with colored pigments at passers-by from their vantage points on rooftops and balconies. Young men chased each other down with water guns in public parks and on the streets, while others danced on the streets to music blaring from speakers. In Nepal, the celebration, known as Faghu, lasts for a night and a day and begins on the evening of the Purnima, or full moon. The festival acknowledges the divine love between Hindu god Krishna and his consort Radha and also signifies the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil. Holi is an opportunity for Hindu’s to experience rebirth and renewal, embracing positivity and shedding negative energy. The festival is a national holiday in India and is observed in other countries in South Asia.

Source: http://www.africanews.com/2025/03/14/millions-across-south-asia-celebrate-the-hindu-festival-of-colours-love-and-spring/