Holi is perhaps the most joyful and colourful Hindu festival. But to see it at its most spirited, you need to visit the town of Mathura in the Braj region of northern India.
Women playfully beat men with sticks and try to rip their shirts off. In turn, men use their torn clothes to retaliate. All this is combined with such large amounts of coloured powders and dyed water that the streets run orange.
Mathura is where Lord Krishna was born, and Holi festivities can go on for more than a week. This gallery shows the celebrations in Mathura; see also our gallery of Holi celebrations elsewhere in India.
