Holi celebrated with enthusiasm in Kangra

Tribune Reporters

Kangra, March 5

Holi was today celebrated with religious fervour and enthusiasm in the Kangra valley and people were seen playing with colours.

People enjoyed the festival with men, women and children in groups were seen moving from one colony to another throwing colours on one another. Students of different institutions, schools and colleges in this temple town also played the festival of colours.

For the first time, the Kangra market remained partially open due to two warring Beopar mandals. While one group of the mandals decided to celebrate Holi today, the other one would celebrate it tomorrow. Residents of Vivekananda Vihar Colony decided to celebrate the festival tomorrow and organise community kitchen in the afternoon.

The Bajjreshwari temple was visited by a large number of people and paid obeisance to the goddess. The reports of Holi celebrations were also received from different parts of the valley.

Meanwhile, the three-day festival, being celebrated in Old Kangra by the Jain community, concluded with a “Dharam Sabha” and “poojan” of the idol of Lord Adinath at the Septamber Jain temple.

Achhar Kumar Jain, president of the community, said hundreds of members of the community had arrived here from parts of Northern India, who enjoyed bhajan and kirtan and celebrated the festival without colours.

The tradition of giving a bid for hoisting the flag at the Bhagwan Adinath temple and to carry golden ornaments to the temple in procession to decorate the idol of Bhagwan Adinath was performed during the celebrations and Joginder Pal Jain of Jalandhar hoisted the flag.

Virbhadra, Governor greet people on Holi

Shimla: Governor Kalyan Singh and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have extended warm greetings to the people of the state on the auspicious Holi festival.

Governor Kalyan Singh said Holi, the festival of colours symbolises harmony, spirit of brotherhood and fraternity in the society. The festival depicts diverse shades of rich culture and brings about zeal and happiness in the lives of people, he added.

The Governor hoped that the festival would go a long way in strengthening the unity and integrity of the nation. Felicitating the people, Virbhadra prayed for their well-being of the people and expressed hope that this festival would be a harbinger of peace, harmony and prosperity in the state.

He said Holi was celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm in different parts of the state which facilitates in further strengthening the bonds of unity and brotherhood among the society.