India was celebrating the festival of Holi on March 27, 2013. This is the festival of color and marks the onset of spring. People from all walks of life were seen indulging in the celebrations throughout the country.
During the festivities, people could be seen smearing ‘gulal’ (a color) on each other’s faces and the sweet ‘gujia’ was also distributed. Friends and relatives met and greetings were also exchanged. The Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went on to greet the nation and hoped that this festival would promote harmony and strengthen national values.
Pranab Mukherjee went on to say, “On the joyous occasion of Holi, I convey my greetings and good wishes to all my fellow countrymen. This festival which marks the advent of spring, is a harbinger of joy, hope and fulfillment for all”.
Most of the day was enjoyed by children, as they sprayed colored water on each other using water guns. They also shot water-filled balloons on people passing near their homes. In the capital, commuters faced problems as public transport was halted in the morning. Even the metro and buses were shut till late afternoon.
The police had issued warnings saying that socially unacceptable behavior in the name of celebration would not be tolerated.
