Time Out : Celebrate Holi festival at home with Time Out and Instagram

Time Out London and Instagram have partnered to launch the first Holi at Home festival to celebrate the Hindu holy day of Rangwali Holi. Holi at Home will be hosted exclusively on Time Out London's (@TimeOutLondon) Instagram, taking place from 12 noon on Monday 29th March.

Holi is an important festival for Hindus across the UK, celebrating the triumph of good over evil, and is often characterised by street parties and large gatherings exploding with colour. However, with lockdown measures still in place, this year the Hindu community and all those who celebrate Holi will be marking the day differently - whether celebrating at home or arranging virtual gatherings.

Over the past year we have seen how faith communities have come to virtual spaces like Instagram to celebrate key moments and connect with each other in the face of the pandemic. In November, the Hindu community took part in Instagram's#ShareYourLightchallenge during Diwali, sharing a gesture of positivity and light with friends, family and the wider community online.

Now Time Out, a brand known for championing cultures from around the world, will work alongside Instagram to celebrate Holi and bring the party to people, wherever they are and whoever they are celebrating with.

The virtual event will showcase vibrant parts of Hindu culture and Holi celebrations for everyone to enjoy and learn from. The schedule for 29th March includes:

• 12 Noon: Chef, columnist, and author Ravinder Bhogal (@cookinboots) serves up her restaurant Jikoni's signature bhel puri, a dish so popular it has been on the menu since day one. A popular Indian street food, this dish is part of the savoury snacks known as 'chaat', which are often sold from roadside stalls in India or served as starters in restaurants. You will also learn how to make two chutneys to give the dish its signature flavour, and be given a lesson on the spices that go into its creation.
• 3pm: Jewellery designer and henna artist Nisha Davdra (@nishadavdra) teaches you how to recreate popular henna designs to celebrate Holi at Home. She will be using the ancient dye to create intricate designs with her daughter, whilst recounting traditional stories told around Holi festival such as that of Prahlad and other legends that help inspire positivity in the modern day. Bring a pen and paper (or an item to paint) and follow along Live to recreate the popular designs at home.
• 6pm: Presenter and entertainer Sugapuff (@sugapuffofficial) goes Bollywood for one night only, teaching you all Bollywood dance moves you can show off for Holi or at any Desi Party! Having trained as a modern Bollywood dancer in his teens, Sugapuff is ready to teach the moves to bust to woo any crowd. He promises a lively session, so remember to stretch and limber up before dancing!

Instagram's Strategic Partnerships Manager Sunil Singhvi says:'We are excited to be working with Time Out and our amazing creators to help people celebrate Holi from the comfort of their own homes. The past year has demonstrated how platforms like Instagram enable people to connect wherever they are, whether that's joining Live#TogetheratHomegigswith Coldplay's Chris Martin, taking part ingroup meditation sessionswith Lizzo, or taking the #ShareYourLight challenge for Diwali- people have come together despite the odds. For everyone celebrating on Monday, Holee mubaarak!'

Time Out Engagement Editor, Samantha Willis says:'At this time of year the capital is usually alive with Holi celebrations and festivities, from The Holi Festival of Colours in Wembley to The Magic of India Colour Party at Swiss Cottage. With large scale events still unable to take place, we are delighted to be working with Instagram to create Holi at Home and provide live activities from a henna masterclass to a Bollywood dance party for everyone to enjoy and learn more about Holi.'

Chef, author and columnist Ravinder Bhogal said:'Like most festivals for me, Holi celebrations revolve around food! I love preparing my versions of Indian street food or chaat and for Holi at Home I am serving up a personal favourite: Jikoni Bhel Puri. Celebrating each other's cultural and religious festivities brings communities together and helps us broaden our knowledge, horizons and palette. It's a sharing of culture that makes our lives (and importantly our food traditions) richer, so I am excited to be taking part in Holi at Home to share the celebrations with everyone through Instagram.'