Soemantri Brodjonegoro Stadium, Kuningan, South Jakarta

Indian expatriates and Indonesians of Indian descent, who live in Jakarta, lost themselves dancing, eating and smearing each others’ faces with colored powder at the India Club’s recent celebration of holi (festival of color) in the city.

Originating in India, the festival celebrates the arrival of spring, distinguished by its use of bright colored
powder.

Over 1,400 people attended the event at Soemantri Brodjonegoro Stadium in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on March 23. Many Indonesians were intrigued by the event, as they made up more than 50 percent of all participants.

The event, comprising various leisure activities such as music, dance and food, was also attended by the Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Pradeep Kumar Rawat and his wife.

“Everywhere I look, people are smiling. This is what holi does to people,” Rawat said in his opening address.

The festival had a number of food stalls offering various Indian favorites like curries, biryanis and cholebhatures to dosas, which were enjoyed by the participants. A DJ also entertained the crowd, playing well-known Bollywood hits such as “Balam Pichkari” (from the 2013 film Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani) and “Badriki Dulhaniya” (from the 2017 movie Badrinathki Dulhania).

The India Club’s vice president, R. Ramesh, said the annual event sought to encourage interaction and cultural familiarity between Indonesians and Indian expatriates living in Jakarta.

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