Rajasthan celebrates Holi with pomp and gaiety

Jaipur, Mar 3 (PTI) The festival of Holi was celebrated with traditional fervour and enthusiasm across Rajasthan after Holika Dahan was observed in the wee hours on Tuesday.

Amid confusion over the exact date of Dhulandi celebrations due to a lunar eclipse, many people celebrated the festival on Tuesday, smearing colours on each other and taking to the streets.

Some people said they would observe it on Wednesday.

Holika Dahan rituals were performed across the state in the wee hours, with people gathering in localities for the ritual symbolising the victory of good over evil. Devotees offered prayers and performed traditional parikrama around the fire.

In Jaipur, a large number of devotees thronged the Govind Devji temple, where special arrangements were made for Holi. Devotees danced to devotional and folk songs and celebrated by showering flowers and colours.

The Rajasthan Tourism Department organised its annual Holi celebration for tourists at the Khasa Kothi hotel premises in Jaipur, drawing a large number of domestic and foreign visitors.

Officials said natural gulal was arranged for the event. Foreign guests were seen dancing to DJ music while Rajasthani folk artists presented traditional performances, including Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Chakri and Kachhi Ghodi dances.

Tourists were welcomed with tilak, gulal and aarti, and special arrangements for food and refreshments were made.

Deputy Director of the Tourism Department Upendra Singh Shekhawat said the department celebrates Dhulandi at Khasa Kothi every year to provide visitors with an authentic cultural experience. PTI SDA HIG HIG