The Lathmar Holi Festival

Students, with their faces smeared in coloured powder, celebrate Holi in Chandigarh. AJAY VERMA/REUTERS

A student, with her face smeared in coloured powder, celebrates Holi in Chandigarh. AJAY VERMA/REUTERS

A student, with her face smeared in coloured powder, celebrates Holi in Chandigarh. AJAY VERMA/REUTERS

Veiled Hindu women hold bamboo sticks as they celebrate Lathmar Holi at Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

People dance as they celebrate Lathmar Holi at Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

An old man daubed in coloured powder celebrates Lathmar Holi at Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A man shields himself from a woman playfully beating him with a bamboo stick during Lathmar Holi at Barsana. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A veiled Hindu woman holds a bamboo stick as she celebrates Lathmar Holi at Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A man shields himself from a woman playfully beating him with a bamboo stick during Lathmar Holi at Barsana. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

Boys dressed as females dance as they celebrate Lathmar Holi at Barsana. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A man daubed in coloured powder celebrates Lathmar Holi at Barsana. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

People throw coloured powder as they celebrate Lathmar Holi at Barsana. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A man shields himself from women playfully beating him with bamboo sticks during Lathmar Holi at Barsana. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

People dance as they celebrate Lathmar Holi at Barsana. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A Buddhist monk sprays holy water at devotees during the annual Magic Tattoo Festival at Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Prathom. SUKREE SUKPLANG/REUTERS

Men throw red colour powder as they celebrate Lathmar Holi at village Nandgaon. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A boy sprays coloured water on a family making their way to a temple during the Lathmar Holi at the village of Nandgaon in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A boy throws coloured powder on others as they celebrate Lathmar Holi at village Nandgaon. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A man daubed in coloured powder smiles as he celebrates Lathmar Holi at village Nandgaon. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

Men throw red colour powder as they celebrate Lathmar Holi at village Nandgaon. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A man daubed in coloured powder smiles as he celebrates Lathmar Holi at village Nandgaon. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

People dance as others spray coloured water on them during the Lathmar Holi at village Nandgaon. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

Men daubed in coloured powder sing a hymn at a temple during Lathmar Holi at village Nandgaon. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

People throw coloured powder as they celebrate Lathmar Holi at village Nandgaon. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A man daubed in coloured powder lies on the ground as he celebrates Lathmar Holi at village Nandgaon. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A woman, with her face smeared in coloured powder, celebrates Holi, also known as the festival of colours, in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. AJAY VERMA/REUTERS

People apply coloured powder to a woman's face as they celebrate Holi, also known as the festival of colours, in Ahmedabad. AMIT DAVE/REUTERS

Students of Rabindra Bharati University apply coloured powder to a fellow student's face as they celebrate Holi in Kolkata. RUPAK DE CHOWDHURI/REUTERS

Student of Rabindra Bharati University applies coloured powder to a fellow student's face as they celebrate Holi in Kolkata. RUPAK DE CHOWDHURI/REUTERS

Students of Rabindra Bharati University, daubed in coloured powder, pose for a photograph as they celebrate Holi in Kolkata. RUPAK DE CHOWDHURI/REUTERS

A person is thrown up by friends while celebrating the festival of colours Holi in Kathmandu. STRINGER/REUTERS

People spray water at the crowd as they celebrate the festival of colours Holi in Kathmandu. STRINGER/REUTERS

A tourist takes part in the festival of colours Holi in Kathmandu. STRINGER/REUTERS

A person celebrating festival of colours

A teacher holds a plate with coloured powder during Holi celebrations in Ahmedabad. AMIT DAVE/REUTERS

People dance and chant religious slogans inside a temple to celebrate Holi in Vrindavan. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

People smear each other with coloured powder to celebrate Holi near Mathura. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

People chant religious slogans as others pour coloured water on them inside a temple while celebrating the Holi in Vrindavan. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

People pray as they arrive in a temple to celebrate Holi in Vrindavan. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

People chant religious slogans as others throw coloured powder in a temple to celebrate Holi in Vrindavan. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

Sita, 12, with her face smeared in colored powder, is photographed during celebrations for Holi, also known as the festival of colours, in Karachi. INSIYA SYED/REUTERS

A man hangs toy water guns alongside other Holi festival souvenirs on his roadside stall in Karachi. INSIYA SYED/REUTERS

A boy smiles as he is applied coloured powder by other boys while celebrating Holi in Kolkata. RUPAK DE CHOWDHURI/REUTERS

A man daubed in coloured powder smiles as he celebrates Holi in Mumbai. DANISH SIDDIQUI/REUTERS

Boys daubed in coloured powder dance in an alley as they celebrate Holi in Mumbai. DANISH SIDDIQUI/REUTERS

A boy smiles as he is applied coloured powder by other boys while celebrating Holi in Kolkata. RUPAK DE CHOWDHURI/REUTERS

A man daubed in coloured powder smokes as he celebrates Holi in Mumbai. DANISH SIDDIQUI/REUTERS

A boy daubed in coloured powder walks along an alley while celebrating Holi in Mumbai. DANISH SIDDIQUI/REUTERS

People hug each other as a man throws an empty sack while they celebrate Holi in Mumbai. DANISH SIDDIQUI/REUTERS

A boy daubed in coloured powder poses for a picture during Lathmar Holi in Barsana. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

Girls apply coloured powder to each other as they celebrate Holi in Mumbai. DANISH SIDDIQUI/REUTERS

A man daubed in coloured powder sings a hymn during Lathmar Holi in Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A man daubed in coloured powder poses for a picture during Lathmar Holi in Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A boy daubed in coloured powder poses for a picture during Lathmar Holi in Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A veiled Hindu woman holds a bamboo stick as she celebrates Lathmar Holi in Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A priest stands at the gate of a temple as policemen talk during Lathmar Holi in Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A woman with her face smeared in coloured powder is seen during celebrations for Holi in Quetta. NASEER AHMED/REUTERS

Women with their faces smeared in coloured powder are seen during celebrations for Holi in Quetta. NASEER AHMED/REUTERS

A boy is seen covered with coloured powder during Lathmar Holi in Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A boy holds a water gun during Lathmar Holi in Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A girl daubed in coloured powder smiles as she celebrates Holi in Mumbai. DANISH SIDDIQUI/REUTERS

Boys covered with coloured powder pose for a picture during Lathmar Holi in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A man daubed in coloured powder sings a hymn during Lathmar Holi in Uttar Pradesh. ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

Indian Border Security Force soldiers celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi in a camp in Humhama. DANISH ISMAIL/REUTERS

Indian Border Security Force soldiers celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi in a camp in Humhama. DANISH ISMAIL/REUTERS

Indian Border Security Force soldiers apply coloured powder to their colleague's face as they celebrate Holi at a camp in Humhama. DANISH ISMAIL/REUTERS

Boys covered with coloured powder pose for a picture as they celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi in a camp in Humhama. DANISH ISMAIL/REUTERS

A man drenches himself in coloured water during celebrations of Holi in Hyderabad. KRISHNENDU HALDER/REUTERS