Temple President Caru Das said the annual springtime celebration offers a chance for spiritual rejuvenation to all who attend.

“The Festival of Colors can be a psychological reset for some people, if they want to take advantage of it,” Das said. “All of us can be better, rise higher, be more loving, more caring, more considerate.”

The festival runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and involves live music, dances, yoga, vegetarian cuisine, crafts and, most notably, hourly chalk throws that gives the event its iconic colorful ascetic.

This weekend marks the first Color Festival since an incident that was believed to be a hate crime last summer, when bullets were fired at the Krishna Temple. Das said he cannot image the “depravity” behind such an act but said that since day one after the incident, the temple community decided to move forward and not dwell on it.

“God’s still on his throne. I’m still his child, I’m still doing this work. Nobody promised that there wouldn’t be opposition, so there’s nothing surprising about that, but we’re getting through it,” Das said.

The Holi festival serves as a chance to set aside hatred and differences and connect with one another.

“If we’ve had a winter season, metaphorically speaking, we’re welcoming the Festival of Colors as an opportunity to get out, rub shoulders with your neighbors, hug them, celebrate what we have. There’s nothing wrong with differences. That’s what makes life interesting,” Das said.

Slated to attend the festival are County Commission Amelia Powers Gardner and Salem Mayor Cristy Simons. Performers will include Bollypop star Aakansha Mahaesvari, Shyamesvari, DJ Vibhu Chaitanya and others. Their jobs, according to Das, are to get the attendees moving and dancing and having a good time.

“So one of the distinct features about the festival is that it’s not a spectator sport. It’s like everybody’s part of the show,” he said.

Tickets are $8. Last year, Das said the festival had 15,000 people attend across two days, and that they expect a larger crowd this year with 20% preregistrations.