LAHORE: Holi, the festival of colours, was celebrated with great fervour and zeal by Hindus in Lahore and other cities of Punjab on Monday.

The Holi celebrations were arranged in Lahore by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) at Krishna Mandir, Ravi Road, where hundreds of Hindus and other guests attended the festivities.

The trust arranged ‘prashad’ for the participants, and the venue was adorned with illuminations, adding to the festivity.

A spokesperson for the ETPB told Dawn that all arrangements for Holi at Krishna Mandir had been made to facilitate the Hindus.

Holi heralds the change in weather and is a festival of colours, where participants throw colours on each other. The ceremony at Krishna Mandir was also attended by ETPB Chairman Fareed Khan, Rana Shahid Saleem (additional secretary of shrines), and members of the Hindu Mandir Management Committee and ETPB.

The ETPB spokesperson stated that Holi was celebrated in 82 mandirs across Pakistan. In 17 mandirs, Holi was celebrated officially, and in 65 mandirs with the help of the Hindu community. The celebrations began in the afternoon and continued until late at night. Under the ETPB, arrangements for Holi were made in three mandirs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six in Punjab, and eight mandirs in Sindh.

Gifts were distributed among the Hindu community in connection with Holi.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2024