Spokane Hindu community celebrates Holi

Though the Hindu holiday of Holi isn't for another two days, the interfaith Favs Center in Spokane was bursting with color and crowds to celebrate the holiday on Sunday. Typically a two-day festival celebrated in India, the Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center sold out its event with 130 tickets to fund a future, permanent establishment for worship. Traditional dancing, authentic food, prayer and music concluded with a lively powdered paint throw. Photos by Libby Kamrowski.

Section:Gallery

Sun., March 8, 2020

Monty Mourya celebrates the Festival of Colors for Holi at the interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020. The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Nalini Gupta celebrates the Festival of Colors for Holi at the interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020. The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Swati Oberoi smiles before she performs a Rajisthani dance with other women in traditional colorful garb at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 for the upcoming Holi holiday. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Neharika Sharma (left) watches another dancer as they perform a Ganesh Stuti, or dance to Ganesh, to begin Holi festivities at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 for the Holi holiday. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship. The girls dance as part of the Natanan School of Bharatnytyan.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Girls hold trays of flowers which were used in the Ganesh Stuti, or dance for Ganesh, at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 in honor of the holiday of Holi. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Neharika Sharma (left) and Ananya Parlapalli bow to a statue of the god Ganesh as they perform a Ganesh Stuti, or dance to Ganesh, to begin Holi festivities at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 for the Holi holiday. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship. The girls dance as part of the Natanan School of Bharatnytyan.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
A man dances to celebrate Holi at the Interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020 . The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
A woman pats powdered paint onto a girl's face as they celebrate Holi at the interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020 . The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
People celebrate Holi at the interfaith Favs Center in advance of the holiday (which is Tuesday) in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020. The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Pooja Gates performs a a Rajisthani dance with five other women in traditional colorful garb at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 for the upcoming Holi holiday. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship. Gates is founder and guru at the Natanan School of Bharatnytyan.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Swati Oberoi (left) Himani Agrawal (center) and Pooja Manchanda perform a Rajisthani dance with in traditional colorful garb at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 for the upcoming Holi holiday. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
A young local girl by the name of Anika performs in a play as the figure of Holika at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 in honor of the holiday of Holi. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
NNeha Singha performs a Rajisthani dance with in traditional colorful garb at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 for the upcoming Holi holiday. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
A woman holds out her hands to show powdered paint before it is thrown in the air to celebrate Holi at the interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020. The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
A man rustles a young boy's hair and powdered paint comes loose during a Festival of Colors for Holi at the interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020. The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
People celebrate Holi at the Interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020 . The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
People celebrate Holi at the Interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020 . The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
A man pats powdered paint onto another man's face as they celebrate Holi at the interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020 . The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
People celebrate Holi with paint and dancing at the Interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020 . The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Monty Mourya dances as he celebrates the Festival of Colors for Holi at the interfaith Favs Center in Spokane, Wash on March 8, 2020. The Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center celebrated the holiday with a festival that kicked off with a Ganesh Stuti, or a dance for the Hindu god Ganesh, as it is custom to honor Ganesh at the start of an event or new beginning. Following the dance, children performed a play to explain the meaning behind the holiday of Holi, which is "celebrated as a reminder that good always wins, no matter what." A group of adult women then performed a Rajisthani dance in colorful traditional garb. The community also partook in an authentic vegetarian meal before concluding the day with the Holi bonfire to dance and pray away negativity, and finally celebrated with color in the form of powdered paint and lively Bollywood tunes.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Radhika Sharma (left) and Ananya Parlapalli perform a Ganesh Stuti, or dance to honor the god Ganesh, to begin Holi festivities at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 for the Holi holiday. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship. The girls dance as part of the Natanan School of Bharatnytyan.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review
Women perform a Rajisthani dance with in traditional colorful garb at the interfaith Favs Center on March 8, 2020 for the upcoming Holi holiday. The celebration was put on by Spokane Hindu Temple & Cultural Center, a group which was founded in 2018 that grew from the Spokane Hindu Society and recently received nonprofit status, and it meets once a month at the Favs Center to worship.

Libby Kamrowski The Spokesman-Review