Thousands of Hindus travelled to the small villages of Nandgaon and Barsana in the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to throw an array of striking powders at each other.
Rainbow of colour: Hindu men throw and spray coloured water on men from the village of Nangaon as they sit on the floor during prayers at the Ladali or Radha temple
Celebration: Hindu men from the village of Nandgaon are covered in colored powder as they sit on the floor during prayers
Tradition: During Lathmar Holi the women of Barsana beat the men from Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing as they depart the town
Destination: The small villages of Nandgaon and Barsana in the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh played host to the colourful celebration
Roots: A Hindu devotee prays. The tradition of playing with colours on Holi draws its roots from a legend of Radha and the Hindu God Krishna
A prelude to the major national Holi spring festival - known as the Festival of Colours - it sees participants shower each other with brightly coloured dyes and millions of flower petals.
According to legend, Lord Krishna visited his principle consort and childhood friend, Radha, in the village on this day and playfully teased her and her friends. The women responded by chasing him away with sticks.
In the festival men in traditional dress take on the role of gops (friends of Krishna), while women play gopis (friends of Radha).
The men sing provocative songs and throw the coloured powders and flowers on the women, who fight back by pretending to beat them with bamboo.
Roles: In the festival men in traditional dress take on the role of gops (friends of Krishna), while women play gopis (friends of Radhi
Legend: In the Lathmar Holi festival, the men from Nandgaon first come to the neighbouring village of Barsana to play Holi with the women there. On the second day, men from Barsana travel to Nandgaon to play the game with their women
Preparations: The women of both villages begin preparing a month in advance, with mother-in-laws feeding their daughters-in-law rich food so that they show off their prowess on the Holi battle zone
Fun: Young men smeared in various colours joyfully celebrate the festival, which heralds the start of spring
It is claimed that the Hindu deity Krishna, who was dark in colour, was jealous of the fair-coloured Radha. He pestered his foster mother Yasodha about it so much that, fed up, she told him he could change Radha's skin by sprinkling her with colours.
Krishna and his shepherd friends visited Radha and her cowherd girls on this day and teased her by throwing colours at her. She and the girls responded by chasing them away with the sticks, called lathis.
In the Lathmar Holi festival, the men from Nandgaon first come to the neighbouring village of Barsana to play Holi with the women there. On the second day, men from Barsana travel to Nandgaon to play the game with their women.
During breaks from the action, those taking part sip an a cold drink called thandai, intoxicating because it is laced with bhang paste, which is made from cannabis, known to Indians as 'ganja'.
After quaffing the bhang, the participants laugh, cry and crave sweets, the ecstatic experience heightened by the theatrical revelry of the festivities.
The women of both villages begin preparing a month in advance, with mother-in-laws feeding their daughters-in-law rich food so that they show off their prowess on the Holi battle zone.
It is a show of love, fun and equality, one, its participants believe, that even the gods descend to witness.
Ecstatic: Participants quaff cold drinks laced with bhang - a paste made from cannabis - as the run around the town playing and making merry
Burst of colour: A Hindu worshippe dances with coloured paint on his body during Lathmar Holi at Nandagram Temple in Nandgaon
Shades: From lavish Bollywood sets to sparkling saris, India has an international reputation for embracing a rainbow of colours
Explosion of colour: A Hindu devotee stands in a beam of sunlight amid a cloud of coloured powder
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