There's nothing like an explosion of colour to brighten up the day.
And at Holi festival celebrations in Melbourne’s south west, there was certainly a lot of that.
Marking the historic Hindu celebration, hundreds gathered to carry on the message of peace, friendship and love.
Acting Mayor of Wyndham City Council, in Melbourne’s south west, Goutam Gupta, said Holi is one of the largest festivals celebrated in India.
“There's so much darkness around the world, and what we need is a bit of colour to make it exciting,” he said.
And for many among the Indian community it brings a slice of home to their neighbourhood.
One festival goer told SBS, “It is very important for us, to be able to feel that we are a part of the Indian community and get a chance, even though we are away from our families, but we still get a chance to celebrate the festival, so it's very good.”
“We've been celebrating Holi for, I can't remember for how long, back in India. I came here about 15 years ago and been coming to this place for the past couple of years,” said one festival-goer.
It wouldn't be an Indian celebration without a nod to the subcontinent's cuisine.
There's the traditional fare.. but according to British Indian chef Anjum Anand, Holi is all about street food.
“People really look forward to eating outside the house because in India, I guess, traditionally, you wouldn't eat a lot of food outside the house because it was expensive. So when you could, you would really enjoy it,” said Ms Anand.
This event grows each year. From two festivals in 2015, organisers will this year host three, and expect about 15,000 people to join in Holi festivities.
You can colour your world during Holi celebrations throughout the month of March.
