Holi celebrations are called Badi Holi or Dhulandi.
Holi, also known as the festival of colours, is being celebrated with great fervour across the country. The festival is not just a celebration of colours, it's also a celebration of togetherness.
It is an Indian spring festival that celebrates love, color, and the triumph of good over evil. Traditionally, this was a major Hindu religious festival in North India, but the fun, vibrancy, unity, and joy associated with Holi has spread to non-Hindus in South Asia and various communities around the world.
One of the features of Holi is the use of colored powders called 'gulal' and colored water during the festival. Several days before the celebration itself, markets fill with colored powders of every hue for the festival-goers to purchase. There are people who still make the colored powders by themselves, usually from flowers or turmeric, in their homes.
The vibrant colors of the perfumed powder signify the joy of the arrival of spring and all the new colors blooming in nature. Each of the Holi colors also has a unique symbolism.
Here are the highlights of Holi 2019
West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi extends Holi wishes
"May this joyous festival provide an opportunity to reaffirm our faith in the country''s cultural heritage, strengthen the secular fabric of our country and spirit of friendship-fraternity among all sections of society"
Warm, heartfelt greeting and best wishes on the occasion of Holi. Celebrate Holi with full festivity but try not to forget poor around you to double the happiness & also also cast your invaluable vote to fulfil the constitutional obligation as LS elections is on in the meantime, said chief Mayawati.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu tweeted that Holi was a celebration of the victory of good over evil and a festival that expresses joy, camaraderie and conviviality.
The BSE, National Stock Exchange, forex and commodity futures markets will remain closed Thursday on account of Holi.
Bollywood actors including Madhuri Dixit Nene, Akshay Kumar, Hema Malini and Hrithik Roshan sent out Holi wishes to their fans, urging them to enjoy a safe and happy festival of colours.
Here's what they had to say:
Akshay Kumar: May this Holi add more colours to your life. Wishing you all a very Happy Holi and Navroz Mubarak as well.
Hrithik Roshan: May the spirit and colours of Holi fill you with happiness, peace and love. Happy Holi beautiful people.
Madhuri Dixit Nene: This Holi let us strive to paint a colourful world for everyone! Stay safe, enjoy responsibly!
Hema Malini: Happy Holi to all of you!
Emraan Hashmi: Wishing a very happy and colourful Holi to everyone!! And Navroz Mubarak to all my Parsi friends.
Madhur Bhandarkar: May God paint the canvas of our life with the colours of happiness, prosperity and peace. Wishing you all Happy Holi.
Amit Sadh: Happy Holi to everyone. Let these smiles and colours never fade away from our lives.
Esha Deol: Happy Holi
Arbaaz Khan: Happy Holi to all. Enjoy this colourful festival, spread love, happiness and unity.
Esha Gupta: Happy Holi.
Ronit Bose Roy: Happy Holi, lots of love and God Bless.
Tahir Raj Bhasin: Have a super day! Happy Holi.
Mallika Sherawat: Wishing my tweethearts a very happy Holi.
This Holi let us strive to paint a colourful world for everyone! Stay safe, enjoy responsibly! Happy Holi, tweeted Bollywood Actress Madhuri Dixit.
Election Commission of India tweeted, "Carryover the spirit of Holi to the polling day to colour your finger with the indelible ink, marking your presence in! Vote is your right, Vote is your.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi extended wishes to the nation on occasion of Holi. "Wishing you and your family a very Happy Holi. I pray that this festival brings colours to your life.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath celebrates Holi at RSS office in Gorakhpur. "Warm greetings to all of you on the occasion of the festival of Holi - a festival of harmony and love," he wrote on Twitter.
President Ram Nath Kovind greeted the nation on the occasion of Holi, calling it "a celebration of spring and of our sense of fraternity"."On the occasion of the joyous festival of Holi, I convey my greetings to all fellow citizens in India and abroad," the President said in a statement. "This festival is a celebration of spring and of our sense of fraternity and mutual goodwill. May the confluence of colours bring positive energy to all our families and our shared society."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended greetings to the nation on the occasion of Holi and said that the festival of joy and gaiety would strengthen the colour of unity and goodwill.
Holi, also known as the festival of colours, is being celebrated with great fervour across the country. The festival marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.