Gujarat has proved that the festival of Holi is much more than powdered colours and bhaang. Hundreds of people in Gujarat's Ahmedabad came together to celebrate Holi with tomatoes, not colours. Yes, you read it right. Indians love celebrating festivals. The world-famous - La Tomatina festival - held every year in Spain, happened in India's own Gujarat this time.
In the pictures below, people can be seen enjoying the La Tomatina-themed Holi party. Squashed tomatoes were thrown at each other, instead of colours.
La Tomatina is celebrated on the last Wednesday of August in Spain's Valencian town of Buñol every year, which sees thousands of people gathering near the Plaza del Pueblo, to participate in the world's biggest food fight and pelt tomatoes at each other.
The actual event happens on a much larger-scale but India will definitely be a trendsetter for other countries.
WHAT IS LA TOMATINA?
La Tomatina, a popular festival celebrated in Spain every year, due to the larger interest of international tourists. Back in 2018, more than 160 tons of over-ripe tomatoes were used in the festival. The festival has been running since 1945 and is held in the Valencian town of Bunol.
In 1945, few local youths who were fighting in the street grabbed some tomatoes from a nearby grocer's stall and started throwing them at each other. Since then, the Spanish have thrown tomatoes every year until the road in the Spanish town is filled with juice and pulp.
Tomatoes are squashed before they are thrown in order to avoid people getting injured. There is seemingly no escape from the festival once you get involved, as it takes part in a narrow street in the town.
