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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World

Holi, the festival of colours

Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
Children, such as this pair from Calcutta, smear their faces with paint
Photograph: Sucheta Das/AP
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
The main day is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each other
Photograph: Manish Swarup/AP
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
A child rests inside tomato pulp as part of the celebrations
Photograph: Krishnendu Halder/Reuters
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
Indian women celebrate with music and dance in Calcutta
Photograph: Deshakalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty Images
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
A Nepalese youth swims in coloured pool
Photograph: Narendra Shrestha/EPA
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
Indian sadhus, Hindu holy men, smear coloured 'gullal' powder on each other's faces
Photograph: Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
The tradition of playing with colours, as this child has done in Hyderabad, draws its roots from a legend of Radha and the Hindu God Krishna
Photograph: Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
Devotees at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan. Vrindavan is famous for Holi celebration, where according to legend, Hindu god Krishna played Holi with his consort Radha
Photograph: Manish Swarup/AP
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
It is believed that young Krishna was jealous of Radha's fair complexion since he was himself very dark. After questioning his mother, Yashoda, on the darkness of his complexion, she teasingly asked him to colour Radha's face in whichever colour he wanted
Photograph: Manish Swarup/AP
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
In a mischievous mood, Krishna applied colour on Radha's face. Here Pakistani Hindus cover each other with coloured powder as they celebrate Holi in Lahore
Photograph: Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
Even the tourists join the celebrations in Calcutta
Photograph: Piyal Adhikary/EPA
Holi colour celebration: Holi, a Hindu colour celebration
At the end of the day, a girl washes the colour off her skin following celebrations in Hyderabad
Photograph: Krishnendu Halder/Reuters
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