National Holi day: India prepares for religious celebration welcoming the start of spring

Indian students smear themselves with coloured powder during an event to celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi in Kolkata. Holi, the popular Hindu spring festival of colours, is observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month, and will be celebrated on 1 March this year.

The coloured powder – or gulal – thrown during the festival comes from the legend of Krishna and signifies the coming of spring and all the new colours it brings.

The gulal was traditionally made of turmeric, paste and flower extracts, but today synthetic versions are used.