Every spring, India celebrates Holi or the festival of colours in myriad ways. The spectacular festivities mostly involve revellers dousing each other with vibrant coloured powder called gulaal and water to celebrate the arrival of Spring. Yet, the celebrations also differs across the country. Here are some of the most unique ones.
Lath mar holi
In the village of Barsana in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, women beat men from the neighbouring Nandgaon, the birthplace of the Hindu god Krishna, with bamboo sticks or lathis. The celebrations are preceded by Laddu Holi, in which the devotees and priests at the Barsana temple throw traditional sweets or laddoos at each other.
Widows of Vrindavan
In 2015, a significant number of Hindu widows at Vrindavan broke tradition by playing Holi with coloured powder as part of the celebrations organised by an NGO at various shelter homes across the city. Widows, who live in these shelters after being ostracised by their families, have not been permitted to play Holi and other festivals.
Huranga
Huranga is a game played between men and women at the Dauji temple in the north Indian town of Baldeo a day after Holi. While men drench women with coloured water, women tear off the clothes of the men.
Hola Mohalla
Hola Mohalla is a three day Sikh fair to celebrate the festival of Holi in a tradition set by the tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh in the seventeenth century. Nihangs or Sikh warriors display their martial skills and attire during the fair, such as tent pegging, fire breathing and bareback horse-riding.