Holi - Festival of Colors: Dallas & Houston HoliFest

 

Holi - Festival of Colors is one of the most heart-warming of all Indian festivals. JKYog and Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas (Allen) have earned a reputation for their grand festival celebrations. These are marked by enthusiastic community involvement at local and global levels. Spanning over a period of four days (March 17-20, 2022), the HoliFest program was another feather in the cap! The Mega Charity event was held in both Dallas and Houston (Texas) to support a variety of causes, from completion of the building for JKYog’s Center for Indian Culture and Education, and other programs for underprivileged people in India.  

 

Devotion and Contemplation Sprout in the Hearts of Devotees

HoliFest at the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas (Allen) started with a deeply devotional Satyanarayan Katha, a common practice performed on the day of Poornima (full moon). The prayer ritual conducted by the Temple’s priest, Pandit Kaushik Purohit, awakened the sentiments of all the devotees who were present for the occasion. The prayer hall was filled with community members eager to receive the divine grace of God. Everyone participated in singing the Temple Aartis.

 

 

The devotion and joy carried into the preparation and start of the Holika Dahan pooja. Devotees brought offerings for the sacred bonfire to remember the symbolic victory of good over evil – a depiction of how God protects his devotees like Prahlad by annihilating demons like Holika and Hiranyakashipu. The event was jam-packed – the Temple prayer hall, balcony, stairways on the front and side of the building, and the Temple grounds – all were filled with people vying to take a peek at the burning Holika while the all-pure Prahlad was saved from the burning flames in the pyre.

 

 

Curious children were asking their parents about why “people” were burning in the fire. Some parents shared the story of Prahlad while other parents said that they would share later – after the event. Holika Dahan is a time to reflect on why God protected young Prahlad by keeping him alive and letting Holika burn on the pyre. Prahlad’s selfless love for God, teaches us that bhakti can be practiced at any age. You can read the story in Swami Mukundananda ji’s words in the HoliFest 2022 Souvenir.

 

Meet-and-Greet Gala with Celebrities & Sponsors

HoliFest being a mega charity event, a special Meet-and-Greet Gala with Bollywood celebrities Harry Anand and Shalmali Kholgade was held on March 18, 2022. Event sponsors and local celebrities also participated including Allen City Mayor Kenneth Fulk. Enthusiastic participants used this opportunity to connect with the celebrities and local sponsors. The event was marked by singing, dancing, gourmet dinner and lots of fun!

 

HoliFest Hungama in Dallas & Houston

The super grand and highly entertaining HoliFest Hungama was held from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM on March 19th in Dallas and 20th in Houston. The events were filled to capacity as crowds went wild as they sang along and danced to the live musical concert by Harry Anand and Shalmali Kholgade! The temperature of the event rose to over 200º while the environmental temperature was nice and cool! The sounds of drum-beats by Tasha Dhol, whose members came from India especially for this HoliFest, rocked with the celebrities and kept the crowds wanting for more! Local DJs Manish and Sukhi also entertained the crowds. Catch the lovely glimpses of the color play!

 

The amazing array of festivities awoke the submerged inner spirit of all the participants after a long-drawn lockdown period. We invite all our readers and community members to join other upcoming festival celebrations and break-through events with JKYog and Radha Krishna Temple. This Temple is the place to be for the most awe-inspiring  combination of devotion and celebration at festivals and other events. 

 

HoliFest Souvenir

JKYog and Radha Krishna Temple have a beautiful HoliFest Souvenir that highlights the memorable activities with community members. Feel free to download and enjoy reading an inspirational message from Swami Mukundananda ji and many other features including how to understand God’s grace, the proper approach to the study of Bhagavad Gita, etc.

 

Memorable Testimonies

The HoliFest celebration was enjoyed by all the participants – city officials, sponsors, celebrities and volunteers. Here’s a glimpse of a few testimonials.

 

HoliFest Sponsors

JKYog and Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas (Allen) sincerely thank the amazing sponsors without whose support this program would not have been possible. They include  Priya Living, Aarti Jewelers, SR Entertainment, Radio Caravan, David Hicks Company, Covizone Labs, Showfest, Sandeep Shrivastava, CB Jeni, Normandy Homes, Music Masti Magic, Dupriest, Discount Power, Shivam Dhol and Tasha Dhol.