Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
The soccer field of the Washington high School, Fremont was filled with colors as 7000 plus members of the Indian-American community celebrated Holi. Known as the festival of colors and love, Holi celebrates the victory of good over evil, as well as the beginning of spring and the end of winter. The tradition of the festival originates from the Hindu religion. The event was organized by FOG, Fremont Hindu Temple, Federation of Indo-Americans (FIA) of Northern California, UMA, NACHA and Sindhi association of Northern California.
Cultural performances, including live DJ and dancing, added to the festive ambiance, and the organic color play added vibrant hues to the event. “Holi signifies breaking of different social boundaries in our country or anywhere,” Dr Romesh Japra, Chairman of FOG, said. “It’s a festival that brings people together independent of what section of society that they belong to. It promotes the idea of unity, of brotherhood, to spread love, to spread joy, because at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.”
One of the most heartwarming aspects of the event was the unity in diversity, as people from different backgrounds and communities came together to celebrate. The joy and happiness on the faces of both children and adults were awe-inspiring, creating memories that will be cherished for years to come.
It was an occasion to see dignitaries like Supervisor Elisa Marquez, Assembly-member Alex Lee, Fremont Mayor Lily Mei, Fremont Council-member, Raj Salwan, Teresa Cox, Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein, Sunnyvale Council-member, Murali Srinivasan, Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gilmor, Santa Clara Councilmember Kathy Watnabe, Alameda county DA Pamela Price.
“This year was our best Holi festival organized by the temple, FIA and it was by far our biggest success, so it will be a big challenge next year to top it,” said Rajesh Verma, President of FIA. He thanked all the volunteers and sponsors for their support.
During the celebration, FOG Chairman Dr Romesh Japra expressed his gratitude to the community for their participation and support, making this celebration so large and successful.
Sponsors of FOG Holi
- AIRLINE PARTNER AIR INDIA
- EDUCATION PARTNER EMPOWERLY
- ASTROLOGY ASTRO VASTU SOLUTIONS
- SUPERVISOR DAVID HAUVBERT
- SUPERVISOR ELISA MARGQUEZ
- MTR FOODS
- GRB FOODS
- ROYAL – LT FOODS
- CEFCU
- SPARE THE AIR
- ACE RAIL
- AVA COMMUNITY ENERGY
- NBC BAY AREA
- YOUNG CHAMPIONS
