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 ten am 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 Ram Lall, Rishi Misir, Herman Singh, Naro Balli, Roy D. Singh, Sagar Rajpal, etc.; according to reports.
Meanwhile, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, commended efforts of organizers and New York City community to keep the religion-culture alive in New York with festivals like Phagwah.
Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that community in New York City would focus in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of Self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.
Joie de vivre Hindu “festival of color” Holi welcomes the beginning of spring and starts about ten days before the full moon of Phalguna. Besides color play, ceremonies also include the lighting of the bonfires, during which all evils are symbolically burnt. Holi also commemorates the frolics of youthful Lord Krishna; and celebrates the death of demoness Putana, burning of demoness Holika, and destruction of Kama by Lord Shiva. Holi falls on March 13 this year.
Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents. There are about three millions Hindus in USA.
Source : From Our Correspondent
