RIOT OF COLOURS ‘Holi gives a feeling of Woodstock’ Holi in India is one big party. And now the festival has inspired a new generation of clubbers and festival goers across the world to use clouds of coloured powder to turn each other into human rainbows. The idea of Holi-themed parties was the brainchild of German entrepreneur Jasper Hellman, who attended a celebration in India in 2011 and took the idea back with him to Berlin, where he organized the ‘Holi Festival of Colours’. This paint party was such a success that Hellman has taken the festival international, with parties planned in Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico and Brazil. Tens of thousands of Britons too will flock to Holi-themed festivals in London and Manchester this summer. Saturday will see around 15,000 people head for Battersea Power Station, London, for the Holi One festival. Festival goers are encouraged to wear white and buy gulal at the festival site. This will be followed by another event at the same venue next weekend. And 10,000 are expected to attend an event at Heaton Park, Manchester, later this month. And last month, 15,000 people took part in a 5km fun run in London in which they were covered in powdered paint with each passing kilometre.Holi One says it is not a religious event, but is about “promoting the ideas of togetherness and the colour of everyday life”. Organisers say part of the attraction of covering each other in paint powder is that it removes the normal barriers of appearance – with everyone feeling more relaxed as a result. It’s a lucrative business, with an all-day pass including five bags of paint powder costing £38 (Rs 3,500 approx). Stephan Dau, from Holi One Production UG, admits the festival is “a commercial event” but claims part of its success is creating an atmosphere where people feel equal. “It’s so friendly, the event, and so open that it’s like a feeling of Woodstock,” he said
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 08:35:10 +0000
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