Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh, hosted a unique pre-Holi celebration- La Tomatino festival! The festival was organized at Whistling Wood Garden, VIP Road, Raipur on the 5th of March, and was a one-of-a-kind experience for the people of Raipur.
The festival organizers had ordered as many as 10,000 kgs of tomatoes for the event, which were used for various activities and games. Apart from the tomato-based activities, the festival had a DJ, food stalls, a rain dance, and several other activities for entertainment.
In addition to tomatoes, herbal gulal prepared from 2 thousand kg of flowers was also used in this event. The organizers had decided to purchase tomatoes from local farmers to support them and promote locally sourced produce. This was an admirable initiative, keeping in mind the challenges faced by farmers in selling their produce.
For those who were wondering, La Tomatina is a festival that originated in the Valencian town of Buñol, in the east of Spain, where participants threw tomatoes and got involved in a tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes. Since 1945, it had been held on the last Wednesday of August, during a week of festivities in Buñol.
The La Tomatino festival in Raipur was a unique initiative that brought joy and excitement to the people of Raipur. It was an excellent way to celebrate the spirit of Holi, which is all about spreading happiness and joy. With the festival organizers putting in so much effort to make this event a grand success, it was an unforgettable experience for all those who attended. So, the participants grabbed some tomatoes and had fun at La Tomatino in Raipur!