The festival, which marks the end of winter and onset of the spring season, was celebrated in some parts of the country yesterday. In Delhi, people came out of their houses spraying colours on each other and dancing to the beat of drums.
“There is splash of colours on roads, streets and residential colonies and people were seen dancing with joy. The people are preferring herbal colours made from Tesu and Palash flowers keeping in view the harmful effects of synthetic colours. Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces have been made. The Delhi police has made special arrangement to check the drunken driving. The students were seen less in number due to ongoing exams. Holi Milan have begun since last evening. Maha Murkh Sammelan is being organised this evening at Chandni Chowk.
Good weather has encouraged the people to celebrate Holi in traditional way. Musical and literary programmes are also being held at evening hours at many places to mark the festival.
Youngsters both girls and boys are being seen at various places playing with colours and dancing to the tune of folk and filmy songs. Children are being seen with colourful stylish Pichkaris. The Holi spirit was high among them who throw water balloons on passers-by in streets and on the main roads. Examination season has not dampened their festival spirit. In Mathura Holi festivities reached at its peak in Braj Bhumi with lakhs of pilgrims thronged to celebrate the festival in the land of Lord Krishna. In most of the districts festivity of Holi begins from Basant Panchamai and gets momentum after Rang Bhari Eakadashi.
In Jharkhand, the prevailing drought conditions have failed to dampen the Holi festivity. However, people are celebrating the festival of colours without water which they call Tilak Holi or dry holi. In Jammu and Kashmir, Central Reserve Police Force CRPF organised a Holi function at its 117 battalion headquarters at Wazir Bagh for those jawans who were not able to go home on leave. Border Security Force also organised a similar function at Humhama Subsdiary Training Institute of the force while Army jawans celebrated Holi at the Badamibagh cantonment in Srinagar.