Celebrating Holi in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
© Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Image
Painting the town. Happy Holi!
It's Holi; get ready to become a walking rainbow and sprinkle joy wherever you go! This festival of colours, spring and love is a cornerstone of Indian and Nepali culture. It is also celebrated in other countries with large Hindu populations, such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Canada, the United States, Suriname, Indonesia and Malaysia. The festivity lasts for a night and a day. It starts on the evening of the last full moon of the Hindu lunisolar calendar, which usually falls in March in the Gregorian calendar. As the sun sets, people gather to light bonfires, a ritual known as Holika Dahan, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. The following day, the streets come alive with people splashing each other in colours, giving everyone a vibrant makeover. Are you ready for a dash of colour?
Related Images
Street art from the Pasadena Chalk Festival 2013, Pasadena, California
The National Wallace Monument overlooking Stirling in Scotland
Members of the Wild Red Flame Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans, Louisiana
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona
The Lush Rainforest of Cathedral Grove, Macmillan Provincial Park, B.C.
Abstract motion blur of aspen trees in Kluane National Park, Yukon
Mars Express image of the icy cap at Mars’ south pole
A carving of artist W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp in the Pura Meduwe Karang temple in Bali, Indonesia
Bing Today Images
