The Hindu festival of Holi is a joyous, colourful celebration of the arrival of spring. It is also known as the Festival of Colours, because it is celebrated in clouds of coloured powders and liquids.
Revellers chase each other, throwing coloured powder or firing water pistols filled with coloured water. The mock battles take place on the streets and parks, and anyone is fair game. Holi is celebrated on the full moon nearest the spring equinox.
IBTimesUK presents a gallery of photos from this year's festivities.
Coloured water is thrown at a man during Holi, the Festival of Colours, in the southern Indian city of ChennaiReutersA boy sits in a container filled with coloured powder and water during Holi celebrations in the southern Indian city of ChennaiReutersHindu priests throws coloured powder on devotees during Holi celebrations at Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan, in the northern Indian state of Uttar PradeshReutersA Hindu priest throws coloured powder at devotees at Bankey Bihari temple in VrindavanReutersHindu devotees raise their hands as they are sprayed with colour outside a temple in AhmedabadReutersA student of Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata reacts as her fellow students apply coloured powder to her faceReutersDevotees are soaked with coloured water as they sit singing hymns during Holi celebrations at Shamlal Ji temple in KolkataReutersA boy smeared with colours is dragged by his friends in ChennaiReutersA Hindu woman prays while lying on the floor of a temple during Holi celebrations in the western Indian city of AhmedabadReutersA girl reacts as a friend throws coloured powder at her in ChennaiReutersA boy covered in coloured powder smiles in New DelhiReutersA man takes a direct hit at the Bankey Bihari temple in VrindavanReutersHindu devotees react as they are sprayed with coloured water at Bankey Bihari templeReutersPeople daubed in colours dance as they celebrate Holi in the northeastern Indian city of GuwahatiReutersStudents cover their teacher in coloured powders at a school in AhmedabadReutersA man daubed in coloured powder poses for a picture at a temple in Nandgaon, in the northern Indian state of Uttar PradeshReutersPeople are splattered with colour during Holi celebrations at the Bankey Bihari temple in VrindavanReutersA girl sits on her father's shoulders in the northeastern Indian city of GuwahatiReutersA boy sits under a tap to wash the coloured powder off in ChennaiReuters
