Photos: Preparations underway for Holi celebrations in India

Holi, the festival of colours, is the second biggest festival on the Hindu calendar after Diwali. The festival is all about new beginnings -it welcomes the spring season and celebrates the end of winter. Above, labourers dry coloured powder for the upcoming Holi, the spring festival of colours, at a field in Jyoti Nagar village on the outskirts of Siliguri.

Those who celebrate this festival wait for it every year eagerly to play with colours and have delectable dishes. Above, women smear dry colours on each other during Holi celebrations in Nadia district.

Holi is celebrated on different dates every year. This year Holi falls on March 29, 2021. "Many customers wish to celebrate this year's Holi grandly, unlike last year due to heavy COVID-19 restrictions. The demand for herbal Gulaal is high these days.

Holi signifies the victory of good over evil and is celebrated as a day of spreading happiness and love.

A vendor sits inside a shop selling colours and water pistols ahead of the Holi celebrations, in Siliguri.

A labourer dries coloured powder for the upcoming Holi, the spring festival of colours.

Children celebrate Holi, in Lucknow. The festival of colours, Holi is mainly celebrated in India and Nepal, but over the years it has grown to be a celebration that takes place in many communities all across the globe.

The tradition of the Holi is that even the enemies turn friends on Holi and forget any feeling of hardship that may be present.

Apart from this, people on this day do not differentiate between the rich and poor and everybody celebrate the festival together with a spirit of bonhomie and brotherhood.

The festival of Holi is celebrated differently in different states. The celebration of the festival begins with a Holika bonfire on the night before Holi. On this day, people gather, sing and dance around the bonfire and pray for the safety of their loved ones.

On the next day, people play with colours, visit family and friends. The festival has a especial place among children who throw water-filled balloons on family and friends. They also get to enjoy mouth watering Holi specialities like gujiya, malpuas, mathri, puran poli, and dahi vadas — all Indian sweets.