Sunday March 5 saw the Holi Festival of Colours come to Dartford. The free community festival organised by members of the local community working alongside Cohesion Plus and Dartford Borough Council provided to be a big hit in Central Park.

The festival which originates from India has become very popular in recent years in the UK, marks the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring. The event in Dartford is the largest of its kind in Kent with over 1000 attending. Activities included colourful powder being thrown on those attending, free Indian street food, live drumming by the Kings of Dhol and music by DJ Amit.

Civic guests at the event and who participated in the activities included Gurvinder Sandher MBE who along with co-producing the festival was representing the Lord Lieutenant of Kent in his role as a Deputy Lieutenant, The Mayor of Dartford Cllr Paul Cutler, Cllr Jeremy Kite MBE Leader of Dartford Borough Council, Gareth Johnson MP and Mahesh Chawla Head of Chancery and Protocol from the Indian High Commission.

Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus commented “We were delighted to produce the festival working with local community partners and Dartford Borough Council. The Holi Festival is a great addition to the events calendar in Dartford. The vibrant colours and the smiles on the faces of those attending were a delight to see. It was extra special for me as it was my first event in my new role as Deputy Lieutenant representing the Lord Lieutenant of Kent the King’s representative in the County.”

Santosh Patil who led on the organisation of the event from the local community said “Overall, the Holi festival in Dartford was a huge success, bringing people from all communities together in celebration of their differences and promoting cultural diversity and understanding. The presence of distinguished guests added an extra layer of significance to the event, making it a truly memorable experience for all those who attended.”

Jeremy Kite MBE the Leader of Dartford Borough Council said: “I was delighted to attend the Holi celebrations in Central Park on Sunday. It was great to see communities come together for such a bright and uniting event that celebrates the diversity of Dartford and brings people together. I had great fun.”