With spring about to bring some color back to the Korean landscape, Holi celebrations in Seoul and Busan this year are set to beat nature to it.
Two separate groups -- through both are called Indians in Korea -- will mark the Indian spring festival famous for its throwing of colored powder, in Seoul on Sunday and in Busan on March 18.
Holi Hai in Busan, usually the larger of the two events, will be held on the city’s Haeundae Beach.
Last year’s Holi Hai celebrations in Busan (IIK)
“People are showing lots of interest in Holi Hai and we can feel this by looking at registration numbers. We are expecting that this year’s Holi Festival will be biggest compared to all previous years,” said Amit Gupta, one of the event’s organizers.
“This year we imported more colors from India and the stage performance will be a new attraction. We are also planning a live broadcasting of (the) event over social media.”
Colors will be thrown between performances of Bollywood music and dance, rather than all at once as in previous events. Gupta said it would give people a chance to join in even if they arrived late.
Before that, Holi Hangama will be held this weekend in Seoul.
The event, run by the older Indians in Korea, will run from 10:30 a.m. at the Hangang Park in Ichon, Seoul.
The Holi celebrations and dancing will start at 11 a.m. before an Indian lunch. The meal is included in the participation fee and is vegetarian.
Both events require registration in advance. Reservations for the Seoul celebration closes Thursday and is 13,000 won, possible via http://www.indiansinkorea.com.
Registrations for the Busan event are open until Sunday. Participation costs 10,000 won and those taking part are asked to wear white. See www.holihai.org for details.
By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)