Millions of individuals in South Asia commemorated Holi, the Hindu festival of vibrant colors, through playful activities like covering one another with bright pigments, dancing to festive tunes, and savoring traditional sweets prepared for the occasion.

This boisterous spring festival symbolizes the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil. Holi is a national holiday in India and a two-day affair in Nepal, which began on Thursday. The festival is also observed in various other South Asian countries and by the Indian diaspora.

The origins of Holi lie in Hindu mythology, celebrating the divine love between god Krishna and his consort Radha. This festival signifies a period of rebirth and revitalization.

Nationwide, people, mostly dressed in white, reveled in the festival by showering each other with colored powder. Children, positioned on rooftops and balconies, launched water balloons filled with colored pigments at passersby.

Groups of young men used water guns to chase people in public parks and on roads, while other individuals danced on streets to music blaring from speakers.

In certain areas, people opted to toss marigolds, roses, and jasmine petals instead of colored powder.

In many regions of India, people light colossal bonfires the night before the festival, symbolizing the annihilation of evil and the victory of good. Families amass around the blazes to sing, dance, and offer prayers to Hindu deities.