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Holi: the festival of colours

Agencies Published March 27, 2013
Indian Border Security Force Soldiers dance as they celebrate during the Holi festival inside a camp in Srinagar.
Indian Border Security Force Soldiers dance as they celebrate during the Holi festival inside a camp in Srinagar.
Pakistani Hindu women apply coloured powder during Holi celebrations in Karachi.
Pakistani Hindu women apply coloured powder during Holi celebrations in Karachi.
Pakistani Hindu women dance during Holi celebrations in Karachi.
Pakistani Hindu women dance during Holi celebrations in Karachi.
Young Pakistani Hindus pose with water guns during Holi celebrations in Karachi.
Young Pakistani Hindus pose with water guns during Holi celebrations in Karachi.
A group of boys dance near a bonfire in Allahabad, India.
A group of boys dance near a bonfire in Allahabad, India.
Indians perform rituals around a bonfire in Allahabad, India.
Indians perform rituals around a bonfire in Allahabad, India.
Hindu devotees celebrate by seeing the deity of Krishna inside Banke Bihari temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, in Vrindavan, India.
Hindu devotees celebrate by seeing the deity of Krishna inside Banke Bihari temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, in Vrindavan, India.
Indian women smear colours on each others faces as they celebrate Holi in Allahabad, India.
Indian women smear colours on each others faces as they celebrate Holi in Allahabad, India.
Hindu devotees play with coloured powder in Hyderabad, India.
Hindu devotees play with coloured powder in Hyderabad, India.
Indian children react to camera as they celebrate Holi festival with colours and water in Vrindavan, India.
Indian children react to camera as they celebrate Holi festival with colours and water in Vrindavan, India.
Indian Border Security Force soldiers throw coloured powder at dancing village youths as they celebrate Holi festival in Ranbirsingh Pura, outskirts of Jammu, India.
Indian Border Security Force soldiers throw coloured powder at dancing village youths as they celebrate Holi festival in Ranbirsingh Pura, outskirts of Jammu, India.
Hindu devotees covered with coloured powder chant religious slogans inside Banke Bihari temple during Holi festival celebrations in Vrindavan, India.
Hindu devotees covered with coloured powder chant religious slogans inside Banke Bihari temple during Holi festival celebrations in Vrindavan, India.
A Hindu priest sprays coloured water towards devotees inside Banke Bihari temple during Holi festival celebrations in Vrindavan, India.
A Hindu priest sprays coloured water towards devotees inside Banke Bihari temple during Holi festival celebrations in Vrindavan, India.
Foreign tourists dance as they celebrate the Hindu festival of colours, in Katmandu, Nepal.
Foreign tourists dance as they celebrate the Hindu festival of colours, in Katmandu, Nepal.
Indian widows dance and throw flowers during Holi celebrations, at an event organised by the NGO Sulabh at the Meera Sahbhagini Ashram in Vrindavan, India. The widows, many of whom at times have lived desperate lives in the streets of the temple town, celebrated Holi for the first time at the century old ashram.
Indian widows dance and throw flowers during Holi celebrations, at an event organised by the NGO Sulabh at the Meera Sahbhagini Ashram in Vrindavan, India. The widows, many of whom at times have lived desperate lives in the streets of the temple town, celebrated Holi for the first time at the century old ashram.
An Indian widow dressed as a consort of Lord Krishna walks as others throw flowers during the festival of colours. The women were banished by their families after their husband's deaths to the town where devotees believe Lord Krishna was born, for supposedly bringing bad luck.
An Indian widow dressed as a consort of Lord Krishna walks as others throw flowers during the festival of colours. The women were banished by their families after their husband's deaths to the town where devotees believe Lord Krishna was born, for supposedly bringing bad luck.
Indian widows watch a traditional dancer during Holi celebrations.
Indian widows watch a traditional dancer during Holi celebrations.
Indian vendors sell coloured powder known as 'Gulal' prior to the festival in Siliguri.
Indian vendors sell coloured powder known as 'Gulal' prior to the festival in Siliguri.
A man is tossed into the air by his friends as they celebrate Holi in Kathmandu, Nepal.
A man is tossed into the air by his friends as they celebrate Holi in Kathmandu, Nepal.
An Indian school teacher dressed as Lord Krishna uses a watergun during Holi celebrations at Shri Ram Ashram Public School in Amritsar.
An Indian school teacher dressed as Lord Krishna uses a watergun during Holi celebrations at Shri Ram Ashram Public School in Amritsar.
Boys with coloured faces celebrate Holi in Kathmandu.
Boys with coloured faces celebrate Holi in Kathmandu.

Holi is a popular Hindu spring festival also termed as the festival of colours.  It is an annual riotous celebration which falls on the day after full moon in March. Revellers spray coloured powder and water on each other with great gusto while bathing in the jolly atmosphere and vivid colours. —Photos by Agencies/text by AFP

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Comments (13) Closed
SHRi
Mar 27, 2013 02:36pm
amazing pictures!
Recommend 0
surya
Mar 27, 2013 02:49pm
Wonderful !!! Thanks DAWN
Recommend 0
Mulla Ali
Mar 27, 2013 02:52pm
It is nice to see this newspaper is publishing a positive happy article about their enemy.
Recommend 0
Salman Chenghazi
Mar 27, 2013 03:08pm
Happy Holi folks Salman Lahore, PK
Recommend 0
sfomann
Mar 27, 2013 07:03pm
Wish Happy Holi to all Hindus on this and the other side of the border
Recommend 0
Kuldeep
Mar 28, 2013 04:49am
Thanx to Dawn for sharing amazing pictures
Recommend 0
open minded
Mar 28, 2013 04:27pm
May holy brings peace in life and happyness, holi hai
Recommend 0
Ajay
Mar 28, 2013 04:33pm
Enemy ???
Recommend 0
Hindu
Mar 28, 2013 11:36pm
wt has pakistan done with almost 20% of hindu population...
Recommend 0
Gopal Patel
Mar 29, 2013 03:55am
Holi is an Indian festival and not a Hindu festival as asserted by the report.In India Muslims and christians also play Holi.
Recommend 0
havi
Mar 29, 2013 04:48am
It's our mindset to call minority of Pakistani that's Hindu to be addressed as OUR ENEMY. It's shameful comment. In some provinces of India, minority Muslims citizenary make impact on Indian election to seek Muslim voters admiration in true spirit of DEMOCRACY
Recommend 0
MD
Mar 29, 2013 05:18am
Wonderful pictures!! Thanks. Dawn has a very nice website, I think it is very clean and uncluttered and one of the best news websites. I usually go to Times of India but it is no comparison to Dawn as far as layout and design is concerned. Now if I could get all my India news from Dawn, then I would be happy. Keep up the good work.
Recommend 0
S. A. M.
Mar 29, 2013 11:40am
I liked the photos. It reminds me of Karachi. Thanks DAWN.
Recommend 0

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