India revels in Holi festivities, Friday prayers held peacefully

New Delhi: Holi was celebrated with pomp and splendour around India on Friday, with people soaking in the festivities by smearing 'gulaal' on each other and exchanging greetings and sweets.

Homes and streets wore a colourful look as the revellers splashed colours and feasted on traditional delicacies. Public transport did not ply in the morning in most major cities while metro services started functioning from noon.

As Holi coincided with the second Friday prayers during the holy Islamic month of Ramzan, security -- including increased patrolling and picketing -- was beefed up in several states.

In Delhi, more than 25,000 security personnel were deployed. Police closely monitored about 300 sensitive areas with CCTV cameras and drones.

Traffic and city police personnel set up joint pickets and special teams were deployed at major intersections to check drunk driving and traffic violations.

In Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, which has been tense since riots broke out on November 24 following a survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid, the celebrations passed off peacefully amid tight security.

The traditional 'chaupaai kaa juloos (procession)' was also taken out in Sambhal city on Holi, officials said. Friday prayers were held at the mosque at 2:30 pm.

The police and the district administration had made a three-tier security arrangement. Rapid Action Force (RAF) battalions conducted flag marches in the city.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Thursday greeted people on Holi eve, wishing the festival further deepened the colour of unity among the citizens. President Droupadi Murmu also conveyed her greetings on Holi eve, saying the festival of colours nurtured the spirit of unity and brotherhood and reflected the values of unity in diversity.

Political leaders cutting across party lines also greeted people, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday describing Holi as a "messenger of unity".

In a post in Hindi on X, he said, "…The festival of Holi is the messenger of unity, which inspires us to walk on the path of 'sadbhaav (amiability)' with love and 'sauhaard (harmony)'." Later, addressing the traditional Narsingh Shobhayatra in Gorakhpur, he said no country and religion had such a rich tradition of festivals as Sanatan Dharma and asserted that India moved forward through festivals.

Adityanath, the Gorakshpeethadhiswar, started the celebrations at the Gorakhnath temple. He visited the temple's mela ground where Holika (demon king's sister) was burnt, worshipped the 'bhasm (ashes)', and performed 'aarti'. From there, he visited the Shrinathji temple and offered the ashes to the deity.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati urged people to celebrate Holi "traditionally with full enthusiasm, peace, mutual brotherhood and harmony".

In West Bengal, where people celebrated Doljatra, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee prayed for the bond of love among citizens to grow stronger.

She quoted Rabindranath Tagore invoking the advent of spring and said, "…May the lives of every person in Bengal be coloured with the colours of peace, harmony and love, and may the bond of love between people in Bengal be even stronger -- this is my prayer on this auspicious day." Her political rival and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari conveyed his "heartiest love, greetings and best wishes to people on the occasion of Doljatra".

The coastal state of Goa blended tradition with modernity as locals and domestic and international tourists joined the festivities. Azad Maidan, an open space in Panaji city, turned saffron with hundreds of revellers celebrating the festival.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wished the state's people a colourful and prosperous Doul Utsav.

The festival was celebrated in Haryana and Punjab with coloured water-filled balloons, 'gulaal' and sweets. The police in the two states and their joint capital Chandigarh made elaborate arrangements to ensure a safe and joyous Holi.

In Punjab, devotees thronged the Shri Durgiana Temple in Amritsar. There was also a rush of Sikh devotees for the Holla Mohalla festival at Anandpur Sahib.

Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini extended Holi greetings.

In Telangana, children and youngsters revelled in the celebrations in Hyderabad and other towns.

North Indian communities in Hyderabad had organised 'Holika Dahan' on Thursday. Gair, a vibrant folk dance of Rajasthan, was also performed by natives of the state as part of the celebrations.

The police imposed certain restrictions in Hyderabad, prohibiting the movement of vehicles in groups and throwing colours on unwilling persons, drawing an angry response from BJP MLA Raja Singh.

In Andhra Pradesh, Governor S Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his predecessor YS Jagan Mohan Reddy extended Holi greetings.

Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supremo Mehbooba Mufti said some "bigots" had converted Holi into a "source of fear" for minorities with the "approval of those in power".

The festival also coincided with the release of the comic book "The World of Betty and Veronica Digest #38" in which popular character Archie and his friends learn about Holi.

Archie Comic Publications co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit told PTI that Holi was part of the new 10-page story released on Thursday. "The thought behind this is the beauty of India that I have experienced in India."