NEARLY 500 students gathered in a park and drenched one another in colourful paints and dyes to celebrate a holy festival. Students from Westminster University, City University and Queen Mary s University, converged in Northwick Park to mark Holi – the Fe

NEARLY 500 students gathered in a park and drenched one another in colourful paints and dyes to celebrate a holy festival.

Students from Westminster University, City University and Queen Mary's University, converged in Northwick Park to mark Holi - the Festival of Colours - a religious festival celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs.

The festival is traditionally held in February, but students postponed their campus celebrations while they finished their exams.

Riddhi Byas, 20, a second-year criminal justice undergraduate student at Westminster, who helped to organise the gathering, said she has celebrated Holi since childhood, but this year's event was the most fun.

She said: "It was great fun. This was the most well attended event the Hindu society has ever put on. We had a lot of people walk past looking really curious. One or two even joined in.

"None of our lecturers took part though - maybe next year!"

Revellers also took along traditional food and played music to mark the festivities.

Holi is a time where Hindus and Sikhs unite to celebrate the importance of faith, and shun undesirable tendencies such a selfishness and greed.

kate.ferguson@archant.co.uk