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Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

  • <p>Students celebrate the Holi festival on March 1, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Raj K. Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
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    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Students celebrate the Holi festival on March 1, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Raj K. Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

  • <p>Priest water gun on devotees on the occasion of Holi festival celebration at historical Govind Dev Ji temple , in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India on March 1,2018. (Photo: Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images) </p>
    2/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Priest water gun on devotees on the occasion of Holi festival celebration at historical Govind Dev Ji temple , in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India on March 1,2018. (Photo: Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

  • <p>People playing with colours to celebrate Holi at GIP Mall on March 1, 2018 in Noida, India. (Photo: Virendra Singh Gosain/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
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    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    People playing with colours to celebrate Holi at GIP Mall on March 1, 2018 in Noida, India. (Photo: Virendra Singh Gosain/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

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  • <p>Tribal Indian students from the Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS), dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha, are smeared with with coloured powder and petals during Holi festival celebrations in Bhubaneswar on March 1, 2018.<br> (Photo: Asit Kumar/AFP/Getty Images) </p>
    4/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Tribal Indian students from the Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS), dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha, are smeared with with coloured powder and petals during Holi festival celebrations in Bhubaneswar on March 1, 2018.
    (Photo: Asit Kumar/AFP/Getty Images)

  • <p>A widow daubed in colours takes part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
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    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    A widow daubed in colours takes part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

  • <p>Girls smear colored powder on each other as they celebrate Holi in Jammu, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (Photo: Channi Anand/AP) </p>
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    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Girls smear colored powder on each other as they celebrate Holi in Jammu, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (Photo: Channi Anand/AP)

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  • <p>Students celebrate the Holi festival on March 1, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Raj K. Raj/ Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
    7/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Students celebrate the Holi festival on March 1, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Raj K. Raj/ Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

  • <p>Indian students play with coloured powders to celebrate Holi festival in Kolkata on March 1, 2018.<br> (Photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images) </p>
    8/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Indian students play with coloured powders to celebrate Holi festival in Kolkata on March 1, 2018.
    (Photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)

  • <p>Bangladeshi people celebrate Holi festival in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 1, 2018. (Photo: Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/Barcroft Media via Getty Images) </p>
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    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Bangladeshi people celebrate Holi festival in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 1, 2018. (Photo: Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

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    Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

  • <p>Students playing with colours ahead of Holi at Panjab University on March 1, 2018 in Chandigarh, India. (Photo: Anil Dayal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
    10/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Students playing with colours ahead of Holi at Panjab University on March 1, 2018 in Chandigarh, India. (Photo: Anil Dayal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

  • <p>Indians dressed as Hindu deities Radha, center, and Krishana play Holi in Jammu, India, Thursday March 1, 2018. (Photo: Channi Anand/AP) </p>
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    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Indians dressed as Hindu deities Radha, center, and Krishana play Holi in Jammu, India, Thursday March 1, 2018. (Photo: Channi Anand/AP)

  • <p>An Indian man smears colored powder on the face of another during Holi celebrations in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (Photo: Mahesh Kumar A./AP) </p>
    12/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    An Indian man smears colored powder on the face of another during Holi celebrations in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (Photo: Mahesh Kumar A./AP)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

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  • <p>Students celebrate the Holi festival on March 1, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Raj K. Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
    13/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Students celebrate the Holi festival on March 1, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Raj K. Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

  • <p>The face of a woman is smeared with colored powder during Holi, the Hindu festival of colors in Kolkata, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (Photo: Bikas Das/AP) </p>
    14/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    The face of a woman is smeared with colored powder during Holi, the Hindu festival of colors in Kolkata, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (Photo: Bikas Das/AP)

  • <p>Widows daubed in colours dance as they take part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
    15/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Widows daubed in colours dance as they take part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

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  • <p>A boy poses for a picture during Holi celebration in Vrindavan on Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) </p>
    16/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    A boy poses for a picture during Holi celebration in Vrindavan on Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

  • <p>A widow daubed in colours takes part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
    17/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    A widow daubed in colours takes part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

  • <p>An Indian girl celebrates Holi on Feb. 27, 2018 in Kolkata. The popular Hindu spring festival of colors is observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month, and will be celebrated on March 1 this year. (Photo: Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto via Getty Images) </p>
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    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    An Indian girl celebrates Holi on Feb. 27, 2018 in Kolkata. The popular Hindu spring festival of colors is observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month, and will be celebrated on March 1 this year. (Photo: Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

    Yahoo News is better in the app

    Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

  • <p>Indians play with colors during Holi celebrations in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, also marks the advent of spring. (Photo: Mahesh Kumar A./AP) </p>
    19/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Indians play with colors during Holi celebrations in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, also marks the advent of spring. (Photo: Mahesh Kumar A./AP)

  • <p>Widows daubed in colours dance as they take part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
    20/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Widows daubed in colours dance as they take part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

  • <p>Hindu devotees take part in the religious festival of Holi inside a temple in Nandgaon village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India Feb. 25, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
    21/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Hindu devotees take part in the religious festival of Holi inside a temple in Nandgaon village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India Feb. 25, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

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  • <p>Widows daubed in colours dance as they take part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
    22/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Widows daubed in colours dance as they take part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

  • <p>A student of Rabindra Bharati University, with his face smeared in coloured powder, reacts as his fellow student throws coloured powder on his face during Holi celebrations inside the university campus in Kolkata, India, Feb. 26, 2018. (Photo: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters) </p>
    23/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    A student of Rabindra Bharati University, with his face smeared in coloured powder, reacts as his fellow student throws coloured powder on his face during Holi celebrations inside the university campus in Kolkata, India, Feb. 26, 2018. (Photo: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

  • <p>Hindu devotees take part in the religious festival of Holi inside a temple in Nandgaon village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 25 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
    24/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    Hindu devotees take part in the religious festival of Holi inside a temple in Nandgaon village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 25 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

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  • <p>A Hindu devotee takes part in the religious festival of Holi inside a temple in Nandgaon village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 25, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
    25/25

    Hindus celebrate Holi, the festival of colors

    A Hindu devotee takes part in the religious festival of Holi inside a temple in Nandgaon village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 25, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

<p>Students celebrate the Holi festival on March 1, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Raj K. Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
<p>Priest water gun on devotees on the occasion of Holi festival celebration at historical Govind Dev Ji temple , in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India on March 1,2018. (Photo: Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images) </p>
<p>People playing with colours to celebrate Holi at GIP Mall on March 1, 2018 in Noida, India. (Photo: Virendra Singh Gosain/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
<p>Tribal Indian students from the Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS), dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha, are smeared with with coloured powder and petals during Holi festival celebrations in Bhubaneswar on March 1, 2018.<br> (Photo: Asit Kumar/AFP/Getty Images) </p>
<p>A widow daubed in colours takes part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
<p>Girls smear colored powder on each other as they celebrate Holi in Jammu, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (Photo: Channi Anand/AP) </p>
<p>Students celebrate the Holi festival on March 1, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Raj K. Raj/ Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
<p>Indian students play with coloured powders to celebrate Holi festival in Kolkata on March 1, 2018.<br> (Photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images) </p>
<p>Bangladeshi people celebrate Holi festival in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 1, 2018. (Photo: Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/Barcroft Media via Getty Images) </p>
<p>Students playing with colours ahead of Holi at Panjab University on March 1, 2018 in Chandigarh, India. (Photo: Anil Dayal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
<p>Indians dressed as Hindu deities Radha, center, and Krishana play Holi in Jammu, India, Thursday March 1, 2018. (Photo: Channi Anand/AP) </p>
<p>An Indian man smears colored powder on the face of another during Holi celebrations in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (Photo: Mahesh Kumar A./AP) </p>
<p>Students celebrate the Holi festival on March 1, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo: Raj K. Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) </p>
<p>The face of a woman is smeared with colored powder during Holi, the Hindu festival of colors in Kolkata, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (Photo: Bikas Das/AP) </p>
<p>Widows daubed in colours dance as they take part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
<p>A boy poses for a picture during Holi celebration in Vrindavan on Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) </p>
<p>A widow daubed in colours takes part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
<p>An Indian girl celebrates Holi on Feb. 27, 2018 in Kolkata. The popular Hindu spring festival of colors is observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month, and will be celebrated on March 1 this year. (Photo: Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto via Getty Images) </p>
<p>Indians play with colors during Holi celebrations in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, March 1, 2018. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, also marks the advent of spring. (Photo: Mahesh Kumar A./AP) </p>
<p>Widows daubed in colours dance as they take part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
<p>Hindu devotees take part in the religious festival of Holi inside a temple in Nandgaon village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India Feb. 25, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
<p>Widows daubed in colours dance as they take part in Holi celebrations in the town of Vrindavan in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
<p>A student of Rabindra Bharati University, with his face smeared in coloured powder, reacts as his fellow student throws coloured powder on his face during Holi celebrations inside the university campus in Kolkata, India, Feb. 26, 2018. (Photo: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters) </p>
<p>Hindu devotees take part in the religious festival of Holi inside a temple in Nandgaon village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 25 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
<p>A Hindu devotee takes part in the religious festival of Holi inside a temple in Nandgaon village, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb. 25, 2018. (Photo: Adnan Abidi/Reuters) </p>
Yahoo News Photo Staff

Winter ends, spring arrives and the colors come out.

Across India and Nepal, millions of Hindus are celebrating Holi, the joyous festival of color, smearing one another with colored powder and spraying each other with squirt guns.

The two-day festival of Holi is mainly celebrated on Friday this year, but has countless variants and traditions, and some festivals began days ago. By Thursday afternoon, it was easy to find office workers in central New Delhi with their faces smeared red and yellow.

While its roots are religious, tied in many ways to the god Krishna, Holi is also seen as a celebration of good versus evil, and of a good harvest. (AP)

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