NEW YORK: The 29th annual “Phagwah Parade 2017” will be held in Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens Borough of New York City on March 12 to celebrate Hindu festival Phagwah, also known as Holi.
It will include multiple floats playing religious music. Starting around 10 am in the morning from Liberty Avenue & 133rd Street, it will end in Smokey Oval Park (Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park) at 125th Street.
After the parade, Phagwah festival celebrations will be held at Smokey Oval Park till six pm, which will include various cultural and musical performances.
Sponsored by Federation of Hindu Mandirs and Arya Spiritual Center and supported by Hindu Parades & Festivals Committee; its leaders include among others Ram Lall, Rishi Misir, Herman Singh, Naro Balli, Roy D. Singh and Sagar Rajpal.
Commending the efforts of organizers and New York City community, Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism said thatit was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society
Sohan Joshi, former president of National Federating of Indian Associations observed that Holi the “Festival of Color” heralds oncoming of spring and starts about ten days before the full moon of Phalguna. Besides color play, ceremonies also include the lighting of bonfires, during which all evils are symbolically burnt.
Holi also commemorates the frolics of youthful Lord Krishna and celebrates the death of demon lady Putana, burning of Holika and destruction of Kama by Lord Shiva. Holi falls on March 13 this year.
Neela Pandya
