Brightly colored powders are flying across India as 2014 Holi celebrations begin.
Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, doesn’t officially start until Monday, but people in some areas, such as villages in Uttar Pradesh in the north, have already begun throwing colored powder and dyed water into the air for Lathmar Holi.
Holi’s origins can be traced to Hindu legends, including the tale of Radha and Krishna, along with the coming of spring.
According to the legend, the dark-complexioned Krishna was jealous of Radha’s fair complexion. One day, after Krishna complained to his mother Yashoda about the color difference between him and Radha, his mother suggested he color Radha’s face whatever color he wanted. Taking Yashoda’s advice, he colored Radha’s face to make her look like him.
To this day, traces of the playful prank played by Krishna on Radha can be seen all over India as women, men and children toss the brightly colored powders and dyed water all over each other in celebration of Holi.
Take a closer look at some of the early Holi and Lathmar Holi celebrations in photos below.