Crowds join Holi festival in celebration of colour and music

2 hours ago

News image — The event was organised by GemArts and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

BBC A woman covered in red, yellow and blue paint is smiling at the camera. She has long straight brown hair, sunglasses and is wearing a white t-shirt. — The event was organised by GemArts and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

Hundreds gathered to celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi in a burst of music and colour.

The event, which sees people throw coloured paints on each other, took place on Baltic Square outside the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.

The spring festival marks the victory of good over evil and also heralds the end of winter.

Apart from the traditional colour throwing, the festival also included creative workshops, henna, dance, and music inside the gallery.

The celebration was organised by arts development organisation GemArts and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

Hundreds of people covered in pain are standing near the Gateshead Millennium Bridge by the river Tyne. — Bright colours transformed Baltic Square as the celebrations got under way

Men are covered in purple, green and yellow paint. — The festival marks the end of winter

Hundreds are covered in front of a stage as pink and blue paint flies in the air. — The festival also included dance and workshops

A splash of pink paint flies towards a boy. The back of his head is covered in yellow and blue. His black hoodie is also covered in blue and yellow. — Hundreds of people of all ages joined the celebrations

Holi is based on the Hindu legend of Holika, a female demon, who tries to kill her nephew Prahlad because he worships the Hindu god Vishnu. But Prahlad miraculously survives the burning fire even as Holika is consumed by the flames.

People light bonfires the evening before Holi in the belief this will destroy the bad so that good can triumph.

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