Holi – The Festival of Colors

Photos like these make me feel good.

On March 11th, people in India and other countries with large Hindu populations celebrated Holi, the Festival of Colors.

Holi is celebrated as a welcoming of Spring, and a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. What that translates to in action is an enthusiastic dropping of inhibitions, as people chase each other and playfully splash colorful paint, powder and water on each other.

People also attend bonfires to commemorate the story of Prahlada, a Hindu figure and devout follower of Lord Vishnu who prevailed over his father and the demoness Holika with the power of his devotion. Collected here are photos from this year’s Festival of Colors.

Students holding paint powder of various colors pose as they celebrate Holi, the Indian festival of colors, in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad – March 10, 2009 [Amit Dave]

Men smear colored powder on each other’s faces during celebrations of Holi, the Hindu festival of color, in Jaisalmer, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan – Wednesday March 11, 2009 [Gemunu Amarasinghe]

Women tear off the clothes of men as they play huranga in Dauji temple near the northern Indian town of Mathura March 12, 2009.

Huranga is a game played between men and women a day after the Holi festival during which men drench women with liquid colors and women tear off the clothes of the men [K.K. Arora]

People smear colored powder on each other during Holi celebrations in the northern Indian city of Amritsar [Munish Sharma]

Sadhus or holy men with painted faces sing songs as they celebrate Holi on banks of the Ganga in the northern Indian city of Allahabad – March 11, 2009 [Jitendra Prakash]

Colored powder is thrown on a girl during Holi celebrations in the southern Indian city of Chennai, India [Babu]

A girl with a colored face reacts as she is drenched during Holi celebrations in Kolkata [Jayanta Shaw]

A man cleans a huge pan for celebration of “Hola Mohalla” at Anandpur Sahib in the northern Indian state of Punjab March 11, 2009. “Hola Mohalla” or the festival of Nihangs is celebrated during the Hindu religious festival of Holi, marking the congregation of Sikh devotees from all over the country [Ajay Verma]

Children pour colored water on a tourist during celebrations of Holi, the Hindu festival of color, in Jaisalmer, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan [Gemunu Amarasinghe]

Girls react after colored powder is thrown on them during Holi celebrations in the southern Indian city of Chennai [Babu]

A boy with a painted face looks into the camera during Holi celebrations in Kolkata [Jayanta Shaw]

The eye of a student, smeared in colors, is seen during the celebrations of the Holi, in Chandigarh, India [Ajay Verma]

Revellers take part in Holi celebrations in the northern Indian city of Allahabad [Jitendra Prakash]

Young men, faces smeared with color, look on as they celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in Calcutta, India [Bikas Das]

People smear brightly-colored powder on a man as they celebrate Holi in the northern Indian city of Mathura [K.K. Arora]

A woman reacts as ‘gulal’ or colored powder is thrown on her during Holi celebrations held for the Bollywood fraternity in Mumbai, India [Gautam Singh]

Nihangs, or Sikh warriors, apply colored powder to each other during celebrations of “Hola Mohalla” at Anandpur Sahib in the northern Indian state of Punjab – March 11, 2009 [Ajay Verma]

Physically handicapped children celebrate Holi, India’s festival of colors at the Society for the Education of the Crippled in Mumbai – March 9, 2009 [Arko Datta]

Purple-colored water is sprayed on revellers during Holi celebrations in the northeastern Indian city of Guwahati [Utpal Baruah]

Indian Hindu women watch a ritualistic bonfire that marks the beginning of Holi in Mumbai, India on March 10, 2009. Hindus across the country light bonfires with old wood, sticks, branches and leaves, as one of the most important ceremonies during the Holi festival, which symbolises the victory of good over evil [Arko Datta]