HUNDREDS of people will be covered in colourful paint to celebrate the third Holi festival to be held in Swindon.

Last year's event at Swindon's Hindu Temple saw more than 1,000 people attend to enjoy music, dancing and a feast of top Indian cuisine, and greeted each other with splatters of dry paint. Organisers are expecting a similarly-huge crowd at this year's festival, which will add watercolour paints into the mix and boast a Bollywood DJ, food stalls, refreshments, a selfie frame and live music from players of Indian drums called Dhol.

Swindon Hindu Temple's chairman Pradeep Bhardwaj said: "I'm really looking forward to it, it's a lot of fun, there's always lots of excitement and smiles because children love it and adults become childlike and go crazy. There's a lot of rivalry these days but this is one day where people, communities and opponents come together to make friends, promote tolerance, forget animosity and let go of egos.

"It started as a religious festival and there will be morning worship in the temple and a holy bonfire the night before, but it's become a social and cultural event of huge significance."

The festival will be held 10.30am to 1pm tomorrow. Tickets cost £2