ABOUT
ORGANISERS
Festivals of India is a not-for-profit Quebec-registered organization that has been influential in the scene of events related to the culture of India since 2016, beginning with co-organization of traditional events (Ratha-Yatra), artistic shows at the Quartier des Spectacles, as well as summer Yoga festivals. It's our great pleasure to introduce you to one more annual event: Festival of Colours, inspired by Holi.
ACTIVITIES
2025 offers 5 fabulous themes (Namaste with Yoga and Kirtan, Ecstatic Dance, Bollywood, Family, and, Fete Nationale). Don't miss out and choose your tickets early. Enjoy Canada's largest Holi festival right here in Montreal with live music, dance and colour-throw celebrations, plus all of the bells and whistles of our signature festivals: kiosks, food vendors, henna and more!
LOCATION
Specific location TBA. Somewhere in an outdoor venue in Montreal, rain or shine.
TRADITION OF HOLI
HOLI [sanskrit] - also known as the "festival of colours", is a spring* festival celebrated all across the Indian subcontinent as well as in countries with large Indian subcontinent diaspora populations such as Jamaica, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Mauritius, and Fiji. It signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, the end of winter, and for many, a festive day to meet others, play, laugh, forget, forgive, and repair broken relationships. Holi is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities outside Asia. In recent years, the festival has spread to parts of Europe and North America as a spring celebration of love, frolic, and colours.
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LEGENDS:
Holi has long traditional links with several legends. According to one popular legend, the word Holi is derived from the demoness, Holika. She was the sister of Hiranyakashipu (the name meaning love of gold and a soft bed), a demon king, who, having defeated the gods, proclaimed his supremacy over everyone else in the Universe. Enraged over his son's, Prahlad, ardent devotion to Lord Vishnu, Hiranyakashipu decided to punish him. He took the help of his sister, Holika, who was immune to any damage from fire. Holika carried the small boy Prahlad into the fire, but a divine intervention destroyed her and saved Prahlad from getting burned. Thus, Holi is celebrated to mark the burning of the evil Holika. Her effigy is consumed in the fire! Holi is celebrated with special importance in the North of India. It solemnizes the love of Radha and Krishna. The spraying of colored powders recalls the love pastime of Lord Krishna and His devotees.
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ESSENCE:
The colour, music, and entertainment that accompanies the celebration of Holi bears witness to a feeling of oneness and sense of brotherhood. The festival brings home the lesson of spiritual and social harmony!
