By Kim Hilsenbeck

People from all religious backgrounds and faiths came together Saturday for the annual Holi festival at Radha Madhav Dham in southern Travis County. The Hindu temple and ashram has been at that location for 20 years. Holi is also called the Spring Festival as it marks the arrival of spring, the season of hope and joy. It is known as the festival of colors, and traditionally played in India every year to mark the beginning of the spring season. At Radha Madhav Dham, Holi is played in the same style as it is in Braj district of India.

Roughly 4,000 people attended this past weekend’s Holi festival.

Holi is an ancient festival which is referred to in the 7th century Sanskrit drama, Ratnaval.

It’s also called the Festival of Colors. The Holi festival involves using colored powders that end up coating people from head to toe.

During the evening of the full moon, bonfires are lit in the streets.

These bonfires not only purify the air of evil spirits, but mark the story of Holika and Prahalad.

The next day, people of all ages go in to the streets to celebrate and throw paint on each other.