Holi 2024 Highlights: Kiara Advani celebrates Holi with 'homie' Sidharth Malhotra; Shweta and Navya cuddle in cute pic

People assembled at temples and ghats across the country to mark Holi celebrations, especially in Vrindavan, Mathura and Varanasi. Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi witnessed huge footfall, including locals, who made the celebrations more appealing by dancing together and singing Holi songs.

Holi was celebrated with great enthusiasm across Rajasthan on Monday, with everyone joining in the revelry and coming out in the streets to painting each other with colours, according to PTI. Jaipur's famous Govind Devji temple witnessed people throwing Gulaal in air. Foreign tourists who are staying in Rajasthan also enjoyed the 'Rangotsav' and several of them were seen playing with colours in the walled city of Jaipur.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended warm greetings to fellow countrymen on the occasion of Holi. "Best wishes to all the countrymen for the great festival of colours and joy, Holi. May this festival of happiness bring colours of prosperity and harmony into the lives of all of you and become a medium for the transmission of new energy," Amit Shah posted from his official X handle.

Meanwhile, Rajnath Singh wrote on X, "Best wishes to all of you on the festival of Holi. May this festival of colours infuse joy, enthusiasm and new energy into your life. Happy Holi!"

Holi is incomplete without the wishes we send to our friends and family to celebrate the day. Here are some wishes you can send them on social media :

1. Over a glass of Thandai and a platter of lip-smacking sweet dishes, may you celebrate Holi with a lot of happiness.

2. This Holi, may you be blessed with the shades of joy, the warmth of good friends, and the splashes of happiness. Enjoy the day to the fullest. Happy Holi.

3) Rango se milti hai khushi aur khushi se milta hai dher saara pyaar. Aapko aur aapke parivaar ko hardik shubkamnayein. Happy Holi.

Find more inside.

India has many uniqeu rituals associated with the Festival of Colours. From the Chhadi Mar Holi to Phool Wali Holi and martial arts in Anandpur Sahib, these unique Holi rituals bring a special flair to the festivities. Know all about them here.

Today is the first Lunar Eclipse of 2024. It will be a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. Also known as Chandra Grahan, it will not be visible in India. According to timeanddate.com, the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse will be visible in America, much of Europe, Australia and Africa, North/East Asia, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Arctic and Antarctica. The Eclipse will be visible in parts of Ireland, Belgium, Spain, England, South Norway, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Netherlands, and France.

Alia Bhatt shared a colourful picture on her Instagram stories to wish her fans Happy Holi on March 25. See here.

Akshay Kumar celebrated Holi with his Bade Miyan Chote Miyan co-star Tiger Shroff and shared a fun video of him playing with the actor. “Bura na mano, Holi hai #HappyHoli everyone,” he captioned the clip.

The chemicals used in Holi colours dehydrate the skin. Therefore, it is necessary to use precuations while playing the Festival of Colours and follow a helpful post hydration ritual to rejuvenate your skin. According to Dr Chiranjiv Chhabra, Director and Chief Dermatologist at Alive Wellness Clinics, "After Holi, post the application of colours, use a mild cleanser to scrub them off your skin gradually. Resist using hard soaps or scrubs to ensure you do not break into the skin and cause dry skin or rashes. After applying the cleanser, scrub it off with lukewarm water and soak your skin with a soft, clean towel."

Holi is the biggest Hindu festival after Diwali. People celebrate the day by visiting their friends and family, smearing each other's faces with Gulaal, eating Gujiya, drinking Thandai, preparing delectable dishes, and playing with water guns. Children play with their friends by putting water in balloons and toy guns. After Rangwali Holi, also known as Dhulandi, people celebrate Chhoti Holi, also known as Holika Dahan. On Holika Dahan, people light bonfires to symbolise the triumph of good over evil.

Additionally, the Braj regions, which include Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Nandagaon and Barsana, are associated with Lord Krishna and are the sites of a grand celebration of the festival of Holi. World famous Holi celebrations include Phoolwali Holi in Vrindavan and Lathmar Holi, a customary Holi celebration in Barsana. The festival is observed over two days, namely Rangwali Holi, also known as Dhulandi, and Chhoti Holi, also known as Holika Dahan. On Holika Dahan, people light bonfires to symbolise the triumph of good over evil.

Holi is a festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil and the heavenly love shared by Lord Krishna and Radha. It is also celebrated as a harvest festival to honour the arrival of spring and the end of winter. According to Hindu mythology, Radha was extremely fair and Lord Krishna had a dark complexion. Because of their different skin tones, Krishna often worried about whether Radha would accept him and complained to his mother Yashoda. Yashoda once jokingly suggested that Krishna paint Radha's face a different colour to hide any differences. Krishna did as his mother advised and used Gulaal to smear Radha's face. And that's how the celebration of Holi began. Read more here.

This year, Holi falls on Monday, March 25, and Holika Dahan falls on March 24. According to Drik Panchang, the auspicious timings are as follows:

Purnima Tithi Begins - 09:54 AM on March 24, 2024

Purnima Tithi Ends - 12:29 PM on March 25, 2024