Varanasi, March 4 (IANS) Kashi Vishwanath Dham Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi organised ‘Phool Holi’ on Wednesday, offering devotees an opportunity to celebrate the festival in a traditional and spiritually uplifting environment.

The flower-based Holi festivities were held at Shankaracharya Chowk within the Dham complex, where devotees gathered in large numbers to take part in the celebrations.

Apart from showers of flowers, the programme featured a series of cultural performances, including bhajans, Holi songs and other traditional presentations, adding to the festive spirit, officials said.

The temple authorities, along with the police and other associated agencies, appealed to devotees to cooperate in ensuring that the celebrations remain peaceful, safe and dignified.

Temple Chief Executive Officer Vishwabhushan Mishra told IANS, “Today, Holi was performed at Baba’s temple. The temple trust has arranged a setup of five-tiered flowers. These are available for all devotees here. The best part about the Phool Holi is that people also play Holi with them after they fall on the ground. It is eco-friendly. People are enjoying it a lot. We will promote this further.”

A devotee said, “Today, at Baba Kashi Vishwanath, the Lord of the World, Holi is being celebrated at his temple. The Holi festival is a celebration of joy, peace, and prosperity. We are celebrating Phool Holi here with utmost joy.”

“We are very happy to celebrate Phool Holi here. The atmosphere here is very nice and spiritual. It is also very safe,” another devotee told IANS.

Comprehensive security arrangements were put in place for the occasion. Security personnel were deployed throughout the premises, with the Central Reserve Police Force and private security agencies keeping a close watch on entry and exit points. The area was also monitored through CCTV surveillance, the administration stated.

–IANS

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