Hundreds of Ipswich residents took part in Holi festival

Families and politicians came together to celebrate Holi, which marks the arrival of spring and then the end of winter, in Alexandra Park on Sunday.

This is a popular Hindu festival celebrated as the "Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring".

Holi marks the arrival of spring and the end of winter.

It celebrates the Hindu god Krishna and the legend of Holika and Prahlad.

Before the colours, a group of children put on a dance performance (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

Stalls for henna painting were also provided for by ISIA (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

The festival is often celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and water at each other, giving it the name 'the Festival of Colours'.

In Ipswich, the Ipswich and Suffolk Indian Association (ISIA) have been celebrating this festival in Alexandra Park annually.

The actual day of Holi was March 25, but the celebration was delayed due to scheduling issues, and then pushed back further to the weekend because of high winds.

The festival is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder at each other (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

These colours were provided for by ISIA (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

ISIA is a not-for-profit organisation that holds annual events celebrating and supporting the Indian community in Ipswich (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

At the park, organisers provided people with free colours, henna hand-panting stalls, Indian food stalls and trade stalls.

As tradition with this festival, there was also a bonfire, and people were requested to bring their coconuts and grains to throw into it.  

The festivities started with a group of children doing a dance performance to Bollywood music. 

After that, it was inaugurated by the ISIA team along with Deputy Mayor Elango K. Elavalakan. 

Labour parliamentary candidate for Ipswich Jack Abbott and former Ipswich mayor John Cook were also present during the festivities. 

Several politicians also joined in on the festivities (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

After being inagurated people were allowed to pick up the powder and play with it (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

ISIA are a not-for-profit community group, that has been providing information and support to the Indian community in Suffolk for more than 30 years.

Along with Holi they also host an annual Indian Summer Mela that takes place in Christchurch Park.

The day included live entertainment, Bollywood music, spectacular dance performances, a vibrant market, and a mouth-watering Indian food village.