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For the love of all that’s Holi

Over 1,000 people braved the chilly weather last Sunday to appear for this year’s Holi celebration at Merton Mansfield sports grounds. Organisers described the event as a “huge success with a vast amount being raised for charity.”

The Holi ‘festival of colours’ stems from an age-old Indian agricultural tradition, celebrating the arrival of spring. Participants throw coloured powder on one another and spray water to rejoice in the colour and liveliness of spring.

Cups of powder were distributed for £1 each and attendees were encouraged to bring water bottles with which to douse fellow revellers. Water guns were also sold, and were in such high demand that supplies ran out within 20 minutes.

Organiser Shyam Thakerar said, “Everyone had a brilliant afternoon from as far as I could tell, which I feel is really important in the stress-filled Trinity Term. With the grey skies we’ve had recently, Oxford could do with a bit of colour!”

Second year English student Jess Campbell said the event was “fab, colourful and very wet”, while Sachin de Stone, a Maths and Philosophy student, commented, “It was euphoric. It was so vivid, I saw it, tasted it, smelt it, and loved every minute of it.”

Despite the event’s success, there were some concerns about the use of water while Britain suffers drought. One first-year musician, who preferred to remain anonymous, did not attend the festival but commented, “How can people be running around laughing and wasting precious water while this drought threatens us all?”

The celebration managed to raise over £1,550 for the two sponsored charities, Ashiana Charitable Trust and the Smile Foundation.

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