NEW DELHI — On Friday, Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, was celebrated by millions across South Asia. Revelers smeared each other with vibrant powders, danced to celebratory music, and enjoyed traditional sweets prepared for the occasion.
This exuberant spring festival involves Hindus engaging in a colorful celebration marking the end of winter and the victory of good over evil. Holi is a national holiday in India and a two-day event in Nepal, commencing on Thursday. It is also observed in other South Asian nations and among the Indian diaspora.
Rooted in Hindu mythology, Holi commemorates the divine love between the Hindu god Krishna and Radha, his consort, and symbolizes renewal and rejuvenation.
Throughout India, people, often clad in white attire, celebrated by throwing colored powder at one another. Children on rooftops and balconies tossed water balloons filled with colored pigments at passersby.
Groups of young men used water guns to playfully chase people in parks and on streets, while others danced to loud music in the streets.
In New Delhi, a rainbow-colored haze filled the air around a park as friends splashed each other with colored powder and water.
“It’s time for fun and frolic,” said Krisha Bedi, a lawyer whose face was covered in red, green, and blue.
In some areas, marigolds, roses, and jasmine petals were thrown instead of colored powder.
Amidst large celebrations in Ahmedabad, a city in western India, thousands gathered at a temple and were sprayed with colored water from large pipes while swaying to traditional Gujarati music and clapping.
Food and beverages are central to the festivities. Vendors across India sold thandai, a light green drink made with milk, cardamom, and dried fruit, and gujia, a flaky, fried pastry filled with milk curds, nuts, and dried fruit.
Another Holi tradition is bhang, a local drink made with cannabis and consumed with milk or water. This drink is associated with Hinduism, particularly Lord Shiva, and is enjoyed during other religious festivals in the region. Its consumption is legal under Indian law and sold at government-licensed shops.
In many parts of India, large bonfires are lit the night before the festival to represent the destruction of evil and the triumph of good. Families gather around these fires to sing, dance, and pray to Hindu deities.
In two northern towns, hundreds of women celebrated last week by playfully hitting teasing men with wooden sticks as part of a ritual called “Lathmar Holi,” or Stick Holi.