Benalmádena welcomes spring with colourful Hindu Holi festival

Sunday, 28 April, the Hindu community of Benalmádena will come together to celebrate one of their great traditions, Holi, a celebration in which Hindus, mainly from India and Nepal, commemorate the arrival of spring. They do so with an event that is already known worldwide for its use of colour.

The event will take place around the temple located on Avenida Gandhi; there, six marquees and ten bars will be set up, expecting to attract around 600 people, not only Hindus but also locals and tourists, explained one of the organisers, Ravi Tharani.

"We are a group of friends from the community who have taken on the organisation of the events we celebrate, a task that our parents used to do and that has now passed on to us," he said. The entrance fee is 15 euros, and participants will be able to find both Hindu cuisine and music, as well as a zone for games and entertainment.

All proceeds from the celebration will be donated towards the maintenance of the temple, which is funded by various donations received from community members and proceeds from events of this nature.

Among other traditions, this festival is characterised by the importance of colour. All participants can enjoy music, dance, and food while literally dyeing themselves with brightly coloured powders. A whole range of colours laden with symbolism.

Holi represents a way to celebrate spring, to move from darkness to light, the triumph of good over evil, and hence the prominence of colours, which is also a means to eliminate social differences. In addition, each colour holds a meaning: red signifies love and marriage; blue, the god Krishna; and green, new beginnings.