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Report nowColors fly, music booms, people dance: All over India, the Holi festival transforms streets and squares into a spectacular sea of color. The pictures show how exuberantly spring is welcomed.
Holi is one of the oldest and best-known Hindu festivals. Its origins go back several centuries and are closely linked to religious tales.
The legend of Prahlada and the demoness Holika, who gave the festival its name, is particularly widespread. It symbolizes the triumph of good over evil - a motif that is still at the heart of the celebrations today.
Traditionally, Holi begins the evening before with large bonfires, the so-called "Holika Dahan". Families and communities gather together to mark the end of winter and the beginning of a new season.
The following day, the focus is on encounters, music and an exuberant atmosphere - a festival that brings together people from a wide variety of backgrounds in many places.
