India Celebrates Holi:- Villagers from Barsana and Nandgaon smeared with colors play Lathmar Holi at Nandagram temple in Nandgoan village, 115 kilometers (70 miles) south of New Delhi, India, March 19, 2024.
Widely known as the Hindu festival of colors, Holi marks the arrival of the spring season in India, Nepal and other South Asian countries as well as the diaspora. It celebrates the divine love between the Hindu god Krishna and his consort Radha, and signifies a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, embracing the positive and letting go of negative energy. Above, women pose for a photograph in Kolkata, India, March 25, 2024.
Across the country, people — some dressed in all white — celebrated the festival by drenching one another in colored powder while others flung water balloons filled with colored pigment from balconies. Some used squirt guns to chase down fellow revelers in parks, and others danced on the streets to music blaring from speakers.
Above, devotees cheer as colored powder and water is sprayed on them at the Kalupur Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad, India, March 24, 2024.
Food and drink are a big part of the festivities. Vendors in parts of India sold Thandai — a traditional beverage prepared with milk, dry fruits and can sometimes be laced with cannabis. Above, a shopkeeper sells local snack prepared with Bhang or cannabis in the Indian state of Rajasthan, India, March 21, 2024.
Another tradition that marks Holi is Bhang, a paste made by grinding the leaves of the cannabis plant and is used in drinks and snacks. It is connected to Hinduism, particularly to Lord Shiva, and is eaten during some religious festivals in the region. The paste's sale and consumption are permissible under Indian law, although a few states have banned it. Above, a girl shakes her head, smeared with colored powder, in Mumbai, India, March 25, 2024.
A family takes selfie as they celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in Mumbai, India, March 25, 2024. In parts of India, people also lit large bonfires the night before the festival to commemorate the triumph of good over evil.
Women dance on a street while taking part in a procession in Kolkata, India, March 25, 2024.
Holi traditions vary across India.
Last week, in preparation for the festival, hundreds of women in two northern towns celebrated by playfully hitting men with wooden sticks in response to their teasing as part of a ritual. Known as the "Lathmar Holi" (Stick Holi), it attracts a large number of visitors. VOA/SP
![India Celebrates Holi:- Villagers from Barsana and Nandgaon smeared with colors play Lathmar Holi at Nandagram temple in Nandgoan village, 115 kilometers (70 miles) south of New Delhi, India, March 19, 2024. [VOA]](http://media.assettype.com/newsgram%2F2024-03%2Fac9c72d4-1641-4d7e-b587-f928a7b97150%2F01000000_0aff_0242_2f30_08dc4cc1884a_w1023_s.avif?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
