Leatherhead care home residents take part in the Holi festival

A care home in Leatherhead marked the festival of Holi with a day of celebrating Hindu culture.

Residents at Care UK’s Liberham Lodge, on Rectory Lane, took part in the festival of colour, which marks the start of spring and honours the triumph of good over evil.

As part of the celebrations, residents spent the morning learning more about Hinduism and the origins of the festival, and making ornate Indian art known as rangoli, before enjoying traditional, Indian-inspired food, all handmade by the home’s Head Chef.

Later, everyone was treated to a special performance from Munde Punjab De, a Bhangra dance group, which had residents tapping their feet and dancing along. 

To end the day, residents and the team made their way into the home’s garden to perform the festival’s traditional ritual. Together with the team members, residents enjoyed throwing coloured powder and paints at each other to celebrate the changing seasons.

Commenting on the event, resident Edna Spencer said: “This has been a wonderful celebration, many years ago I spent quite some time in India, hence why I’ve worn my own traditional dress. Today truly brought back great memories and was lovely sharing it with my friends here.”

Jagpal Singh, General Manager at Liberham Lodge, said: “We all enjoyed taking part and learning about the traditions of the Holi festival and Hindu culture.  

“At Liberham Lodge, we’re committed to ensuring our home is a welcoming and supportive place for everyone, where residents can practise and celebrate their culture – and Holi was the perfect occasion to learn more about Hindu culture and traditions.

“The team created such a memorable day for the residents, who were able to learn more about a culture different to their own. We’d also like to say a huge thank you to Munde Punjab De for helping us celebrate Holi, the residents had a great time dancing with you.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Liberham Lodge, incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The layout of the building has been configured to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.