India celebrates the festival of colours Holi with enthusiasm and religious fervour

The President of India, the Vice President and the Prime Minister have separately greeted the people on the occasion.

President Pranab Mukherjee in his message on the eve of Holi has said, " Holi celebrates spring and is a harbinger of hope and fulfilment in our lives. May this festival of colours bring together the diverse hues of India’s culture in a rainbow of unity. Let us on this day spread happiness and share joy with the needy and downtrodden. May this unique festival strengthen brotherhood and harmony amongst all our people.

Let this year’s Holi mark the beginning of a new phase of peace and prosperity in the country”.

Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari, said, " Celebrated with traditional fervor and enthusiasm throughout the country, the colourful festival of Holi marks the onset of warmer season and celebrates the victory of good over evil.  

May this festival bring peace, harmony, prosperity and happiness in our lives.”

Prime Minister Modi tweeted on Monday, "Greetings on the festival of colours, Holi. May the festival spread joy & warmth everywhere."

Basking in the glory of their recent success in the Assembly elections, the BJP leaders too celebrated Holi at their homes. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted pictures of the celebration at his home on Monday.

Popular actor and MP Hema Malini tweeted, "I am in Mathura for Holi, taking part in the celebrations in Vraj."

Apart from Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, Holi is celebrated with much fanfare in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Foreigners took part in Jaipur Holi in large numbers.

However, according to media reports, India's paramilitary forces refrained from taking part in the festival as tribute to the slain CRPF men in a recent encounter in Chhattisgarh.

Image: Arun Jaitley/Hema Malini Twitter