HOLI, the Hindu festival of colours, was being celebrated with pomp across India and abroad on Monday (25). People were smearing each other with vibrant colours and engaging in dance and music. In many places, dry Holi was being celebrated only with 'gulal' (powder colours) because of water scarcity.
On the eve of the festival, people held Holika Dahan, a bonfire lit to symbolise the victory of good over evil. People gather around the bonfire, offer prayers, sing hymns and perform rituals. The festival also saw a touch of politics in many parts of India since this year, the general elections in the country are not too far away. For example, sweets promoting awareness to cast ballots or masks of prime minister Narendra Modi were being sold. People from all sections of the society -- from commoners to celebrities -- were celebrating the occasion.
Monks and devotees at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) surround idols of Hindu deities Krishna (R) and Radha as they celebrate Holi, the spring festival of colours, in Kolkata in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal on March 24, 2024. (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
Children smear each other with colours during Holika Dahan on the eve of the Holi festival, at Model Town in Patiala in the northern Indian state of Punjab on Sunday, March 24, 2024. (ANI Photo)
Performers present 'Chhau dance' during the Basanta Utsav celebrations held on the occasion of Holi in Kolkata in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal on Sunday, March 24, 2024. (ANI Photo)
People perform Holika Dahan on the eve of the Holi festival, at Holi ground in Gurugram in the northern state of Haryana on Sunday, March 24, 2024. (ANI Photo)
Anil Deshmukh (L), former home minister of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, along with some candidates of the Indian National Congress who are contesting this year's general elections, celebrate with colours during a 'Holi Milan' program, in Nagpur in Maharashtra on Sunday, March 24, 2024. (ANI Photo)
Saints spray coloured water during Holi celebrations in Surat, Gujarat, on Monday, March 25, 2024. (PTI Photo)
People play with colours during Holi celebrations, in Guwahati in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam on Monday, March 25, 2024. (PTI Photo)
People celebrate Holi festivak with colours in Nagaon in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam on Monday, March 25, 2024. (PTI Photo)
Young women during Holi celebrations in Moradabad in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, March 25, 2024. (PTI Photo)
