Millions celebrate united colours of Holi
new delhi — Millions of young and old across the country on Friday celebrated Holi, smearing vibrant colours on each other and exchanging sweets to spread joy and welcome the beginning of spring in India.
Amid shouts of ‘Holi Hai’ and roadside dances to the beat of drums, people — rich and poor, Hindus and Muslims and from other religions — swarmed into public spaces to splash powders of myriad colours on each other and celebrate the seasonal festival of colours, marking the end of winter.
The celebrations began early on Friday morning amid bright sunshine in many parts of the country. People came out of their houses to smear each other with coloured powder, coloured water and mud as well. Families prepared traditional delicacies like ‘gujia’, a sweet fried dumpling made with semolina.
The festival which like many Indian festivals is embedded in a Hindu mythology — that of the triumph of good over evil — brings together people of all classes and religions who sing and dance, distribute sweets.
In Delhi, people were seen dancing to the beats of drums and smearing each others’ faces with ‘abir’ and ‘gulal’, as colours traditionally used in Holi are known. Delhi Police said it had made proper arrangements in case of any hooliganism during the celebrations, requesting the people to obey rules for safe celebration and stay away from drunken driving.
Authorities said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in Delhi where barricades had been set up at many places to check trouble as more than 2,500 traffic policemen were on duty to keep a close watch on those flouting road safety norms and creating problems, particularly for women. —