'Very colourful festival': Manitoba's Hindu community marks Holi with a mixture of flying colours

Manitoba's Hindu community gathered at the Hindu Temple in St. Vital to celebrate the festival Holi on March 24, 2024. (Alexandra Holyk/CTV News Winnipeg)

Manitoba's Hindu community welcomed the return of spring with the celebration of Holi on Sunday.

The celebration, also known as the Festival of Colours, signifies the return of spring, the love and appreciation of the deities Radha and Krishna, as well as the triumph of good over evil.

"Holi is a very colourful festival. So people they enjoy, you can see so many people that are here," said Vandana Sahai, the organizer of this year's event.

A girl is covered in different coloured powders marking the Holi celebration in Winnipeg on March 24, 2024. (Alexandra Holyk/CTV News Winnipeg)

Thousands gathered at the Hindu Temple in St. Vital to mark the celebration, which included throwing colour powders at each other.

The colours each have different meanings. Blue symbolizes Krishna, green is for rebirth and new beginnings, red is for love and fertility and yellow is the colour of turmeric, the main spice in curry.

Sahai said her family has been putting on the Holi celebration at the temple for the last 18 years and the community always has so much fun.

"This is the togetherness festival. We get together and we eat…this is a very, very happy moment."

The official day of Holi is recognized on Monday.

A woman is seen throwing a colourful powder as part of the Holi celebration in Winnipeg on March 24, 2024. (Alexandra Holyk/CTV News Winnipeg)