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WEST KENDAL, FLORIDA, March 23, 2006: Although it would be hard to tell in South Florida, the spring season just recently arrived. On Sunday, many people took this as a cause for celebration, congregating in Larry and Penny Thompson Park for Phagwah, a Hindu festival that extols, among other things, the coming of spring, which began March 20. The festival was marked with music, bright colors and painted faces, as those in attendance took the opportunity to reconnect with other members of the community and rejoice in the new season. Some people came from as far as Canada to celebrate. In the early afternoon, children gathered under a shelter at the park, at 12451 SW 184th St., to kick off the festivities with spirited singing and drumming. Some attendees were quick to equip themselves with squirt guns filled with abeer, a traditional dye, and were determined to leave no shirt unstained. By sundown, the crowd had become a vibrant melange of colors. A feeling of harmony was also evident, as strangers approached each other, embracing as they smeared colored powder on each other’s faces. Families brought their own food and drink, and offered it freely to anyone who might wander by their camp. Raj Prakash, 56, of Kendall, said he has attended Phagwah in Miami for more than 25 years. “The intent of this celebration is two-fold. One is to continue to love and cherish each other as a community,” Prakash said. “You notice when you walk around there’s no one with a sad face. “And second, we want our children to recognize that they come from a great heritage of love and tolerance.”

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