Durham University’s Oriental Museum plays host to spring Holi Festival

Holi is the Indian Spring Festival, also known as the Festival of Colours, as the main way to celebrate is to throw brightly coloured powder over friends and family.

Ticket holders were given a phased timed ‘throw’, with environmentally friendly and skin-kind powder in a variety of colours.

Holi Festival, Oriental Museum, Durham (Image: Sarah Caldecott – The Northern Echo)

Adding to the south Asian feel, there were plenty of food trucks offering tasty Asian cuisine, plus storytelling, music, art activities and more.

Holi Festival, Durham (Image: Sarah Caldecott – The Northern Echo)

According to lunar calendars the Holi Festival is symbolically the triumph of good over evil, featuring the demise of the demoness Halika.

Holi Festival, Durham (Image: Sarah Caldecott – The Northern Echo)

Holi Festival (Image: Sarah Caldecott – The Northern Echo)

Holi Festival (Image: Sarah Caldecott – The Northern Echo)

Holi Festival, Durham (Image: Sarah Caldecott – The Northern Echo)

Holi Festival (Image: Sarah Caldecott – The Northern Echo)

Holi Festival (Image: Sarah Caldecott – The Northern Echo)

Holi Festival (Image: Sarah Caldecott – The Northern Echo)

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It also marks the welcoming in of the spring season, breaking down barriers of age, caste and religion.

Fittingly, Saturday’s (March 7) event, against the backdrop of spring sunshine, brought together young and old alike.

There was plus a wide cross section of students of all nationalities letting their hair down amid the frenzy of the colourful powder throwing.