Rang de Basanti: India celebrates Holi

Welcoming Spring

Holi, the festival of colours marks the beginning of the spring season and an end to winters.

(Photograph:ANI)

Festival of love

The festival is described as an ancient Hindu spring festival which originated from the Indian subcontinent.

(Photograph:ANI)

The evening before

The festival begins with the burning of 'Holika Dehan' at night followed by celebrations with colours and water the next day.

(Photograph:IANS)

Same festival, many different celebrations

Clouds of colours in the air, kids running armed with pichkaris, gulal smeared faces, bhang spiked thandai, gujia and dahi vadas beautifully served in plates is how Holi is celebrated in different ways in India.

(Photograph:ANI)

Beyond boundaries

Besides India, Holi is also celebrated in Pakistan, India and Nepal. Over the years the festival has also spread to other parts of Asia and the western world.

(Photograph:IANS)

Lath mar Holi

Traditionally associated with Lord Krishna, the localities in the Braj Region, like Agra, Mathura, Nandgaon, Vrindavan, and Barsana, are the major tourist attractions during the Holi season.

In these localities, especially in Barsana, people celebrate Lath mar Holi in the Radha Rani temple’s compound. In this ritual, women beat up men with sticks (Lathi) as the men sing Holi songs. This unique form of celebration denotes men singing to gather women’s attention and women protecting themselves by chasing men away with sticks.

(Photograph:IANS)

Holi celebrations in Pakistan

Pakistani Hindu women smeared with colours celebrate the Holi festival in Karachi.

(Photograph:AFP)