The festival of Holi will be celebrated by Hindus worldwide on Thursday (March 1) and Friday (March 2), but one of London's largest Festival of Colours events has been cancelled because of snow.

Neasden Temple (BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir) in Brent announced its Holi festival celebrations would no longer happen on Thursday because of "adverse weather conditions".

Also known as the festival of love, Holi celebrations at the temple were due to attract thousands of people.

Snow news

Holi is celebrated with singing and dancing, and the famous throwing of brightly coloured paint powders, to mark the end of winter.

Neasden Temple covered in snow on Wednesday (February 28)

But on Wednesday (February 28) Neasden Temple announced on Twitter that snow meant the event had been cancelled in "the interest of visitors' safety".

Neasden Temple in the snow

Neasden Temple apologised for any inconvenience the cancellation may have caused.

Holi celebrations at London's largest Hindu temple have been cancelled

Facts about Holi

  • The word Holi is derived from the word ‘Holika’, who was the demonic sister of King Hiranyakashipu and was burned to death with the help of Vishnu.
  • There is an alternative version of history associated with Holi. It is said Lord Krishna as a baby was poisoned by the breast milk of Putana and developed the characteristic blue colour of his skin. Krishna was skeptical whether the fair-skinned Radha and other girls would like him. When he told his mother, Yashoda, she told him to colour Radha’s face in whatever colour he liked. Since then, Holi is commemorated as the festival of love.
  • Holi marks the passing of winter and beginning of spring and is celebrated each year around the vernal equinox, the first day of the new season on the astronomical calendar. Generally, it falls between February and March.
  • The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships.

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