People across India celebrated the country's most flamboyant festival, Holi, which marks the beginning of spring.
The festival, which is celebrated every year with great fervour, traditionally includes extensive use of coloured powder also known as gulal. People smear the powder in dry and wet forms on each other's face and throw colours in the air to welcome the colourful season of spring.
Holi is also regarded as the festival to celebrate good yield. There are many interseting legends associated with the festival.
A mythological belief has it that Lord Krishna would go to Barsana village, where his lover Radha resided, and would tease her and her friends, known as Gopis, with colours. However, Radha and the Gopis would chase Krishna and his friends out with sticks. The legend also says that the dark-skinned Krishna was so jealous of the fair-skinned Radha that he would try to change her skin colour by sprinkling colours on her.
According to another popular legend, Holika, sister of king of demons Hiranyakashipu, was burned to ashes while trying to kill her nephew Prahlada, a Lord Vishnu devotee. The burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi as a victory of good over evil.
Though the basic tradition of Holi across India includes playing with colors and indulging in traditional confectioneries, certain customs are unique to only a few regions.
Lathmar Holi, which is unique to Nandgaon and Barsana villages in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, men sing provocative songs to gain the attention of women, who then beat them with bamboo sticks called lathis.
Take a look at the spectacular images of the festival of colours...
Hindu devotees stand amid a cloud of red coloured powder during Holi celebrations at the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 26, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersHindu devotees throw coloured powder during Holi celebrations at the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 26, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersChildren spray coloured water during Holi celebrations in a lane near the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 26, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersA woman with her hand stained by coloured water poses for a picture during Holi celebrations in a lane near the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 26, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersHindu devotees gather during Holi celebrations at the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 26, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over IndiaReutersA boy poses for a picture with a water gun during holi celebrations at the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 26, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersA boy sprays coloured foam during Holi celebrations in a lane near the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 26, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersA schoolboy reacts after coloured powder was thrown on him by an another schoolboy during celebrations of Holi, also known as the festival of colours, outside their school in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad March 26, 2013. The traditional event heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersHindu devotees throw coloured powder into the air during holi celebrations at the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 25, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersA man dances during holi celebrations at the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 25, 2013. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersPeople raise their hands to receive coloured holy water from a priest during celebrations for Holi, also known as the festival of colours, in Jammu March 24, 2013. The traditional event heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersPeople throw coloured powder as they celebrate "Lathmar Holi" at Nandgaon village in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, March 22, 2013. In a Holi tradition unique to Nandgaon and Barsana villages, men sing provocative songs to gain the attention of women, who then "beat" them with bamboo sticks called "lathis". Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.ReutersPeople throw coloured powder as they celebrate "Lathmar Holi" at Nandgaon village in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, March 22, 2013. In a Holi tradition unique to Nandgaon and Barsana villages, men sing provocative songs to gain the attention of women, who then "beat" them with bamboo sticks called "lathis". Holi, also known as the Festival of Colours, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India.Reuters
