Waitakere Indian Association (WIA) is proud to announce that ‘Holi,’ Festival of Colour, will be held at the Trusts Stadium Grounds located at Central Park Drive, Henderson on Sunday, March 31, 2013 from 11 am.
The annual festival, called, ‘Rang Barse Holi Mela’, is considered the most colourful Holi festival in New Zealand.
A long line-up of cultural items would shake the stage as it did last year.
Music & Dance
These would include the traditional ‘Faag Gaayan’ (Holi Singing) ‘Holi Khele Raghubira’ and other items of music and dance.
We will also cater to the increasing number of school and university students, with DJ Gabbroo (also known as) Mani Sharma providing popular dance numbers.
As in the past years, we would welcome families, including women and children to attend our daylong Holi Festival.
Annual progress
The first Holi Mela held in 2005 at the Te Atatu South Community Centre with a Faag Sammelan (Holi singing convention) was not a success.
We realised that festival needed more than traditional Fiji-style and hence shifted to Corbans Park Ground in the following year.
More than 8000 people attended the event, encouraging us to make Holi bigger and better year after year.
The history
Celebrated on the day after the Full Moon in March or April every year, Holi marks the harvest season.
According to historians, Hiranyakashipu, a demon king of ‘Satya Yuga’ was Anti-Vishnu and hence resented his son Prahlad worshipping the Lord. His attempts to kill him were unsuccessful and finally the king’s sister Holika sits with Prahlad in a huge fire.
Prahald emerges unscathed while his aunt, said to be immune to fire, burns to death.
Holi commemorates this event with bonfires.
This exuberant festival is also associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha, and hence it is spread over 16 days in Vrindavan as well as Mathura, the two cities with which Lord Krishna shared a deep affiliation.
Apart from the usual fun with coloured powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions, which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a general sense of abandoned vitality.
The uniformity of colours bind us as one people. Several dignitaries, including politicians were our guests at last year’s celebration.
They echoed the sentiment that New Zealand was happy to have migrants, who assisted the country, uplifted its economic ability and brought in their colorful cultures.
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What: Rang Barse Holi Mela Who: Waitakere Indian Association When: Sunday, March 31, 2013 at 11 am Where: Trusts Stadium Grounds Central Park Drive, Henderson, Auckland Contact: Sunil Chandra on 021-535333 Email: s.chandra@xtra.co.nz Website: www.wia.net.nz |
