Holi: Indian festival of colours celebrates community, cultural exchange in Jordan

AMMAN — The Indian community in Jordan on Friday celebrated the festival of Holi in an event characterised by vibrant clouds of colourful powder, special food, dancing, drumming and singing,  

Bharatiya Samaj in Jordan hosted the festival of colours at a venue north of Amman and welcomed 150 attendees, including Indian community members, Jordanians  and internationals.  

Holi is the Hindu festival of love and colours — it’s a day to repair relationships, practise joy and reprioritise the present.  The holiday’s universal themes have earned it international popularity.    

“The vision of the event is to bring people together,” Deepak Goel, one of the event’s organisers, told The Jordan Times.  

“The event is an opportunity to connect with the Indian community and Indian culture, both for Indians living in Jordan and for Jordanians. The event is open to anyone and everyone,” he said.

In this way, the ambiance was universal as well as unilateral. Razeem Kadavath, Second Secretary at the Indian embassy, said he was proud that “cultural exchange between the Indian community and the greater Jordanian community is symbiotic. We contribute to Jordanian society and vice versa”.  

The Jordanians in attendance — both Amman residents who commuted with Indian friends and curious neighbours living near the venue — expressed their interest, gratitude and excitement.  “It’s a beautiful event and the community is so joyous,” said one Jordanian attendee.  

Kadavath said that the Indian community also participates in Muslim holidays alongside their Jordanian neighbours. “We are decorating our houses for Ramadan and our schools donate food.  Just as the colours of Holi are universal, so too do we enjoy everyone’s happiness.”  

Hemant Bulani is visiting Jordan from India. Smiling, he noted how beautiful it was “to see Indians outside of India spreading Indian culture, love and colour — it’s very powerful”.