More than 25,000 people gathered in Smokey Oval Park to celebrate annual Phagwah festival, the largest of its kind in the U.S.

Tens of thousands of jubilant spectators sprayed one another with pink, yellow and red dyes last month in Richmond Hill to celebrate a major Indo-Caribbean holiday welcoming the arrival of spring.

More than 25,000 people gathered on Liberty Ave. for the 19th annual Phagwah Parade, the largest of its kind in the U.S.

Started by the Arya Spiritual Center in 1990, the festival, also known as Holi, dates back thousands of years. It originated in India and takes place in spring, after the first full moon on the Hindu calendar.

In addition to welcoming the new season, it honors the legend of Prahlada, the son of a despotic king who overcame evil.

The parade ended at Smokey Oval Park, where attendees engaged in a raucous battle of colors, joyfully smearing one another to reflect the explosion of spring hues.

Traditionally, this festival used abrac, a dye extracted from blooming flowers, to garnish the celebration. For the first time this year, spectators also used confetti.

The crowd was treated to 12 floats, each depicting a cultural element or a sponsor.

With the migration of Indians to the Caribbean in the 19th century, the celebration has become a national holiday in Guyana, Trinidad and Suriname.

Pandit Ramlallji, 80, one of the parade directors, noted the crowd was ethnically more diverse this year than ever.

“The message is that we should live in harmony,” Ramlallji said. “Every culture can prosper on its own."

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Why weren't Hillary and Obama invited?