Millennium Park becomes a colourful hub for Holi Festival

The skies above Millennium Park in Lugogo, Kampala, were awash with vibrant hues on Sunday as the Hindu community celebrated the Holi festival.

Known as the festival of colours, love, and spring, Holi also symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.

The event drew large crowds, with attendees seizing the opportunity to unwind and take a break from their busy daily routines. At the entrance, many were greeted with colorful “bombs”—surprise bursts of colored powder thrown by friends and relatives. Inside the park, revelers armed with canisters and extinguishers filled with different colors joyfully drenched everyone in sight, regardless of whether they knew them or not.

A girl showering another with purple colour during the Holi festival at Millenium grounds Lugogo. Photo by Ignatius Kamya

The festivities reached new heights with the appearance of artist Shivam Sharma, who made a grand entrance on a police fire truck. His arrival sparked a frenzy, with sections of the audience turning fire extinguishers filled with liquid colors on each other, creating a spectacular color bath. The fire truck, more than just a performance prop, sprayed water onto the already color-soaked crowd, blurring the lines between adults and children as everyone embraced the playful spirit of the festival.

At one point, tomatoes were added to the mix, with people atop the fire truck tossing them into the crowd, who enthusiastically threw them back.

Raju Sareen, Chairman of the Indian Association of Uganda, emphasized the festival’s essence of fostering relationships with friends, relatives, and neighbors. “The spirit behind this festival is to forgive and forget. We shake hands and hug each other as a sign of new beginnings because, in our day-to-day lives, we often end up hurting others, knowingly or unknowingly,” he said.

Santosh Gumte, Managing Director of Kansai Plascon, expressed pride in supporting the event and celebrating Indian heritage. “As a celebration of color, this festival naturally drew our attention, and we are proud to give back to the community by being part of it,” he added.

The Holi festival at Millennium Park was a vibrant celebration of unity, joy, and cultural pride, leaving attendees drenched in color and filled with the spirit of renewal.