Skip to content

Holi 2025: India comes alive with the festival of colours

Crowds gather to celebrate Holi, the Indian festival of colours

Millions of Indians are celebrating Holi, the festival of colours.

The spring festival symbolises the victory of good over evil and marks the end of winter.

People light a bonfire, smear or spray friends and family members with colour and water, and feast on traditional sweets prepared for the occasion.

It's one of India's biggest festivals, with millions returning to their hometowns to celebrate with loved ones.

The festival honours the divine love of Hindu deities Radha and Krishna, and boisterous celebrations are held in the northern Indian cities of Mathura and Vrindavan, believed to be their birthplace.

Historical texts suggest the festival has long been celebrated to mark good harvests and seek fertile land.

Getty Images A colour-smeared group of people celebrating Holi, seen throwing yellow powder on themselves as part of the festivalGetty Images
The spring festival marks the end of winter
Getty Images Young women seen smearing colour on a friend's faceGetty Images
People smear bright colours on friends and family
Getty Images Chief minister Mamata Banerjee danced to the beat of dandiya dance during pre-Holi celebration named Dolyatra and Holi Milan Utsav at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium on March 12, 2025 in Kolkata, India. Getty Images
Politicians like Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal state, join the festivities
Getty Images A bonfire lit on the occasion of Holi festival, with people surrounding it in a circleGetty Images
A bonfire is lit during Holi as a symbol of the victory of good over evil
Getty Images Traditional Indian sweets and savouries prepared for the festival being sold at a shopGetty Images
Indians buy traditional sweets for the celebrations
AFP Widows smeared with gulal (coloured powder), dance as they celebrate Holi, the Hindu spring festival of colours, at a temple in Vrindavan on March 12, 2025.AFP
At a temple in Vrindavan, widows celebrate Holi, dancing and applying colours on each other's faces
Getty Images Children are putting coloured powder on each other as they celebrate the Holi festival, the festival of colours, in Kolkata, India, on March 25, 2024Getty Images
The fun festival is a firm favourite of many Indian children
Getty Images A priest wearing traditional Indian cloth seen dancing to the beats of drumGetty Images
A priest dances in north India's Vrindavan city, which holds special celebrations on the day because of its connections with deities Krishna and Radha

Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook