{"id":4150,"date":"2016-03-24T10:20:45","date_gmt":"2016-03-24T10:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/globalpress.hinduismnow.org?p=4147&preview_id=4147"},"modified":"2016-03-24T10:20:45","modified_gmt":"2016-03-24T10:20:45","slug":"holi-hai-festival-of-colours-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/?p=4150","title":{"rendered":"Holi hai!: Festival of colours begins"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PHOTO: EXPRESS<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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KARACHI \/ SUKKUR:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are celebrating two important events on one day, said Hindu Panchayat Sukkur president Mukhi Eshwar Lal Makheja while talking to The Express Tribun<\/em>e on Wednesday at Gao Shala, where a large number of people had gathered to celebrate Holi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt gives us immense pleasure to celebrate Pakistan Day and Holi together,\u201d he said. \u201cLike other countrymen, Pakistan is also our homeland and we are proud to be Pakistani,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Festival of colours: With prayers for peace, Holi celebrated in Pindi<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Anjali and her brother Mahesh were completely drenched and were busy throwing colour at others, laughing and shouting with glee. Children were also celebrating the festival of colours with their parents. Santosh Kumar, who danced with his friends to music played by a Sindhi band with silver colour on his face, said life without happiness is nothing. \u201cGod has created us to enjoy and praise him, because whatever has been given to us by God is more than enough,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Kumar explained that today is the festival of colour, enjoyment and music. \u201cWhen we throw colour on each other it is an act of showering love upon our friends, relatives and the whole community,\u201d he said. \u201cMuslims have their own festivals and Hindus, Christians and Sikhs have their own and I see all these festivals as the blessing of Allah,\u201d he said. In Pakistan it gives minorities more pleasure when our Muslim brethren join us in our festivities, added Kumar.<\/p>\n

At Gao Shala, a big pool was filled with coloured water and people danced and threw colour at each other in the pool. Besides chanting religious slogans, the participants also chanted slogans in favour of Pakistan. Sweets and soft drinks were also being offered to visitors.<\/p>\n

Makheja said the word \u2018holi\u2019 originates from \u2018Holika\u2019, one of the evil sisters of King Hiranyakashipu. According to him, the festival itself is believed to have links with the Parahlada-Puri Temple in Multan. He explained that some time ago, the temple was damaged due to riots but now it has been rehabilitated. This temple was constructed by Prahlada, Hiranyakashipu\u2019s son, he informed.<\/p>\n

Shaan, Sukhwinder come together to celebrate unity on Holi<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Makheja said his elders had told him that King Hiranyakashipu was the King of Multan and had earned certain powers, due to which he had become very arrogant and declared himself as god and ordered people to worship him. Hiranyakashipu\u2019s own son, Prahlada disagreed with his claims, as he was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and was subjected to cruel punishments, according to Makheja.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing seemed to work but then Holika, Prahlada\u2019s evil aunt, advised her brother to make Prahlada embrace a pre-heated iron bar,\u201d he explained. To the surprise of the king, his son not only embraced the hot bar but kept smiling at his father and Prahlada\u2019s followers started dancing out of jubilance and threw colour, which was the start of the Holi festival, he added.<\/p>\n

Karachi festivities<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe respect, equal opportunities and equal playing field in all socio-political sectors that the Pakistan Peoples Party has provided to the minorities cannot be found in any other party or the government,\u201d said Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at the Hindu Gymkhana in Karachi. He said that in the history of the country and the province, only the Sindh government passed the Hindu arriage Act.<\/p>\n

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th<\/sup>, 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n

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