Every year, Hindus greet the turn of winter into spring with a splash of color — in some areas, a geyser of color. They call their celebration the festival of Holi, and Hindus across India and throughout the world share prayer, camaraderie, special food, and a general sense of mischief as they douse each other in dyes and colored water. The large festival has roots to many Hindu legends associated with the triumph of good over evil. One of the best-known stories tells the tale of the demoness Holika, who tried to kill Prahlad, the son of the demon king Hiranyakashyap, for refusing to worship his father. Instead, Holika is consumed in flames, which is replayed each year with bonfires and effigies, before the celebrants break out the hues and cries of the festival. - Lloyd Young (43 photos total)
Hindu devotees have painted much of the town of Vrindavan — and themselves — red on March 21. The town, in Uttar Pradesh, India, is one of the cultural and religious centers of Hinduism and the site where one of the central figures of the religion, Krishna, grew up, according to tradition. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
An Indian vendor arranges the arsenal for celebrants of Holi — colored powder — at his shop in Hyderabad, India, on March 18. (Mahesh Kumar A/Associated Press)
Indian villagers chat in the village of Jaav, 113 miles south of New Delhi, March 21. (KevinFrayer/Associated Press)
Pakistani Hindus throw buckets of reds and yellows over each other during their celebration of Holi in Lahore on March 20. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)
Holi: Festival of Colors
Hindu devotees have painted much of the town of Vrindavan -- and themselves -- red on March 21. The town, in Uttar Pradesh, India, is one of the cultural and religious centers of Hinduism and the site where one of the central figures of the religion, Krishna, grew up, according to tradition. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
