Watch | Meenakshi Lekhi hosts ‘Holi’ celebrations, dances with diplomats on 'Rang Barse' song

The union minister danced alongside diplomats and others during the Holi celebrations. The Hindu festival Holi, also known as the “festival of colours” in the country, will be celebrated on March 8 this year.

Minister of state for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi hosted “Holi Mahotsav” on Monday in Delhi ahead of Holi festival where she joined with foreign diplomats to dance for a hindi song called “Rang Barse”. In the video shared by news agency ANI, the union minister was also joined by the artists to dance for the song from 1981 Bollywood film “Silsila” in which Amitabh Bachchan played the lead role.

There was a festive vibe all around and all of those seen in the video have “Gulal” (powered colour) on their faces. (ANI)

There was a festive vibe all around and all of those seen in the video have “Gulal” (powered colour) on their faces, which showed that they have played Holi - applying colours to each other-major celebration of the festival.

On Sunday, the minister also attended a Holi Milan ceremony hosted by Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya Jain. Meenakshi Lekhi wrote on Twitter, “Today participated in the Holi Milan ceremony organized by Rajya Sabha MP Mr. Lahar Singh Siroya Jain and extended hearty congratulations and best wishes to everyone on the auspicious festival of Rangotsav.”

In another tweet, she said about 40th Holi Mangal Milan and Parivar Milan organized by Delhi's Adarsh Chaurasia Samaj and shared pictures. “Advance greetings and best wishes for Holi to all,” Meenakshi Lekhi wrote.

The Hindu festival 'Holi'- festival of colours-as it is known in the country, will be celebrated on March 8 this year. The festivities will last two days, beginning with Choti Holi or Holika Dahan and ending with Dhulandi or Rangwali Holi. Many parts of the country celebrate Holika Dahan by forming heaps of unimportant items and burning them off. Holika Dahan represents the release of toxicity and the embrace of prosperity.

Colors, water, balloons, and flowers are used to mark the occasion. Children and adults smear Gulal on each other and ask their elders for blessings. They also pay visits to friends and relatives to commemorate the auspicious, grand celebration and enjoy Holi delicacies such as gujiya, thandai, and others. To celebrate Holi, it is recommended that organic and natural colours and gulal be used; however, people frequently use synthetic colours, which can harm the environment.