Colours splashed all over: People revel in Holi celebrations

IMAGE: Girls dance as they celebrate Holi in Guwahati on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo

People in several states across the country smeared each other with colours, exchanged greetings and savoured sweets to celebrate Holi.

IMAGE: A girl is smeared in colours as she celebrates Holi in Ahmedabad. Photograph: PTI Photo

IMAGE: People play with colours in Guwahati. Photograph: PTI Photo

Revellers hit the streets, danced to popular songs and to the beat of drums as children ran with sprinklers and water balloons to celebrate the festival of colours.

IMAGE: Foreigners celebrating Holi at Khasa Kothi in Jaipur. Photograph: PTI Photo

'Holi hai!' rent the air as revellers zoomed their motorcycles across the streets and danced to popular songs.

IMAGE: Mumbaikars play with colours at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

Colours of all hues and the smell of 'gulal' pervaded the streets as people of all ages celebrated the festival.

IMAGE: Tourists play Holi in Pushkar, Rajasthan. Photograph: PTI Photo

The famous Holi fair in Sujanpur town of Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur district was cut to a three-day affair instead of four days due to the one-day national mourning after the demise of former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

IMAGE: People pose for group photo during Holi celebrations in Lucknow. Photograph: PTI Photo

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the people.

IMAGE: People celebrate Holi in Kolkata. Photograph: PTI Photo

'Greetings and best wishes to fellow citizens in India and abroad on the auspicious occasion of Holi.

IMAGE: Devotees play Holi at a Temple in Howrah district of West Bengal. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra /PTI Photo

'The festival of colours, Holi is a celebration of spring and fraternity in our society. May it bring peace, joy and prosperity to everyone's lives,' the official handle of the President tweeted.

IMAGE: People splash coloured water at each other in Chennai. Photograph: PTI Photo

'Holi is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. It is a festival that expresses joy and camaraderie,' Naidu said.

IMAGE: Revellers celebrating Holi in Bhopal. Photograph: PTI Photo

Modi hoped that the festival of colours would bring peace, harmony, prosperity and happiness in the people's lives.

IMAGE: Revellers play with colours in Bengaluru. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/ PTI Photo

West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said the festival of colours was to strengthen the secular fabric of the country and spirit of friendship-fraternity among all sections of the society.

IMAGE: People play with colours in Allahabad. Photograph: PTI Photo

Leaders of various political parties wished the people on the auspicious occasion.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would not be celebrating Holi this year in memory of the CRPF soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack.

IMAGE: A cop checks a motorist for drunk driving during Holi celebrations in Mumbai. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur celebrated Holi at his residence in Shimla.

Congress leader and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Aam Aadmi Party leaders Sanjay Singh and Gopal Rai wished the people on Holi.