25 festive pictures of Holi celebrations

The annual event is celebrated with colour, singing, dancing, drum playing and bonfires.

Holi, also known as the festival of colour, is an ancient Hindu tradition celebrated to mark the end of the winter season and welcomes the arrival of spring. Although the festival is primarily observed in India and Nepal, the celebration has spread to parts of Europe and America.

The annual event, which represents oneness and brotherhood, is celebrated with colour, singing, dancing, drum playing and bonfires. Participants chase and cover each other in coloured powder to celebrate the colours of spring. In another ritual, women perform a 'mock beating' where they use sticks to beat the men of the local village.

Here we look at 25 images of how Hindu devotees celebrated Holi festival on March 17, 2016.

1. Bags of colourful powder are ready to be used for the Lathmar Holi festival at the Radha Rani temple in Barsana, some 130 kms from New Delhi.

PHOTO: AFP

2. A young Indian reveler covered in coloured powder sits inside a temple during prayers held as part of the Lathmar Holi celebrations in the village of Barsana.

PHOTO: AFP

3. Indian revelers throw coloured water on other villagers during Holi celebrations.

PHOTO: AFP

4. An old man covered in coloured powder poses during the Lathmar Holi celebrations.

PHOTO: AFP

5. Hindu women queue to enter the temple ahead of the Lathmar Holi celebrations in the village of Barsana, India.

PHOTO: AFP

6. Indian women symbolically beat the men during the Lathmar Holi celebrations in the village of Barsana, India on March 17, 2016.

PHOTO: AFP

7. Women 'beat' the men during the Lathmar Holi celebrations in the village of Barsana, India.

PHOTO: AFP

8. An Indian man covered in coloured powder plays the drum while others perform rituals during Holi celebrations.

PHOTO: AFP

9. An Indian worshiper lies on the ground and join his hands as he prays inside a temple during Holi.

PHOTO: AFP

10. An Indian reveler covered in coloured powder poses during the Lathmar Holi celebrations in the village of Barsana, India.

PHOTO: AFP

11. Indian villagers throw coloured powder over each other during the Lathmar Holi festival.

PHOTO: AFP

12. Indian villagers are covered in coloured powder during the Lathmar Holi festival at the Radha Rani temple in Barsana, India.

PHOTO: AFP

13. Indian villagers are covered in coloured powder while celebrating the festival of Holi.

PHOTO: AFP

14. A man waits for customers to buy colourful powder which is used for throwing on each other during the Lathmar Holi festival.

PHOTO: AFP

15. Two village men are covered with coloured powders during the Lathmar Holi festival at the Radha Rani temple.

PHOTO: AFP

16. Hindu devotees watch women beat the men with sticks, a common ritual during the festival of Holi.

PHOTO: REUTERS

17. A Hindu devotee is covered with coloured powder and Hindi script over his face.

PHOTO: REUTERS

18. Women carry sticks which will be used to perform a ritual in which women beat the men during the festival of Holi.

PHOTO: REUTERS

19. Hindu women take part in the religious festival of Lathmar Holi, where women beat the men with sticks, in the town of Barsana in the Uttar Pradesh region of India.

PHOTO: REUTERS

20. Indian women laugh as they watch the religious festival of Lathmar Holi.

PHOTO: REUTERS

21. Hindu women pose for a photograph they watch devotees participating in the festival of Holi.

PHOTO: REUTERS

22. Hindu devotees watch the religious festival of Lathmar Holi.

PHOTO: REUTERS

23. Hindu devotees pose for a photo while the religious festival of Lathmar Holi takes place in Barsana, India.

PHOTO: REUTERS

24. Villagers participate in Holi celebrations in the town of Barsana in the Uttar Pradesh region of India.

PHOTO: REUTERS

25. Indian villagers try to catch the sweets thrown at them during the opening of the Lathmar Holi festival at the Radha Rani temple in Barsana.

PHOTO: REUTERS