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Jan 2015 back issue
by Jayati Saha
Holi, also known as the festival of colours or the festival of love, is a spring festival celebrated by Hindus with great
religious fervour. This is the story of Holi celebrated, with coloured powder and petals, at the Govind Dev Ji temple in
Jaipur City, Rajasthan, India.
Thousands of devotees, both men and women, gather in the centre courtyard of the temple, facing the deity. They
dance, sing and play Holi with the deity, Lord Krishna. This has been a tradition for almost 400 years. Devotees get
into a hypnotic trance with flower petals being showered on them from the roof top.
Holi festival at this temple draws people from all over the world.
Coloured powder being readied before the festival begins.
The air is filled with different coloured powders.
Priests hand out coloured powder to devotees.
A husband and wife smear each other with coloured powder.
Boys play together smeared in yellow powder.
Women dance in circle before the deity.
Marigold and rose petals are showered on the devotees from the roof of the temple.
Girls dance before the deity, while flower petals are
showered on them.
A dancer in a hypnotic trance.
Dancers in costume recreate the story of Lord Krishna
showering his muse Radha with flower petals.
Dancer in costume of Radha sprinkles flower petals from a basket, on the crowd of devotees.
Girl swirls before the deity.
Men in traditional Rajasthani attire dance before the deity to the rhythm of tambourines.
Top view of women dancing in groups.
