THE annual Holi festival has kicked off in India as Hindus dress up in bright clothes and hurl coloured powder at each other to celebrate the end of winter.
The raucous spring festival sees millions across the country take part in a kaleidoscopic celebration of the triumph of good over evil.
The festivities peak on Friday when a public holiday sees large street carnivals around the country.
The party started early in the northern city of Vrindavan, where elderly women daubed in splotches of saffron danced the day away together.
The Covid pandemic derailed last year's Holi party, with the capital New Delhi and several states banning public gatherings.
The Holi festival is an annual Hindu celebration held in India, Nepal and South Asian countries and it is also known as the "festival of love" and the "festival of colours".
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Hindus celebrate by smearing coloured powder over one another, dancing under water sprinklers, and using water balloons and water guns.
It's based on the legend of Krishna, who was self-conscious about the blue colour of his face, due to being poisoned by breast milk.
He was in despair because he believed Radha and other girls wouldn’t like him.
He told his mother, who advised him to paint his face so that his colour didn’t matter.
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Now it is celebrated by thousands of people throwing paint around and getting covered in different colours.
After a day of play with colours, people clean up, wash and bathe, sober up and dress up in the evening and greet friends and relatives by visiting them and exchanging sweets.
Pictures show millions of revellers dancing in the streets, throwing coloured powder at each other and setting off brightly coloured flares in cities across India.
One image shows artists dressed as Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha dancing as they celebrate Holi at a temple in Amritsar, while another shows delighted children hurling coloured powder and playing with water balloons.
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